Gone Forever?
by Girl on Fire
Summary: Sequel to "Eternal Nightmares": Katie's enemies return when she's at her most vulnerable to threaten both her happiness and her very existence.
1. Second Chances

Author's Notes: You don't have to read "Eternal Nightmares" to understand the sequel, but it helps, of course. I hope everyone who was a fan of the original story enjoys this one, too. Please read and review!

* * *

I was caught in a vicious cycle: Type, delete, repeat.

What _does_ one say to a loved one they haven't seen in eight years?

The right words finally came to me after about ten minutes of struggling with writer's block.

_Dear Paul,_

_I'm so sorry for leaving you. I didn't want to, but I had no other choice. Please write back and I'll explain everything._

_Love,_

_Katie_

I sent the e-mail on its way and silently prayed that the address I'd stumbled across was current. I glanced at the time in the corner of the screen: Five minutes after two. It would be around six or seven in the morning back in England, where, according to his Facebook page, my stepbrother still lived.

If luck was on my side, I'd get a response within an hour or two. I wondered if I could find a way to use magic to speed up time, or at least persuade Paul to rush to his computer and check his e-mail...

With a sigh, I swiveled the desk chair around to check on Angelina. The sight of her brought an instant smile to my face. Her eyes were closed and her face had been scrubbed clean of the dramatic makeup she preferred, making her appear innocent and at peace—like an angel.

I wondered if she would like that nickname: _Angel_.

Since there was nothing to do but wait, I pulled my silky burgundy robe tighter around my body, grabbed _The Picture of Dorian Gray _from the nightstand, and slid under the covers. Angelina stirred slightly beside me, but her breathing remained relaxed and even.

I barely made it through the first paragraph before the words began to blur. So much for a distraction...Hell, focusing on a _comic strip_ would have proven challenging at the moment. Popping a movie into the DVD player was tempting, but I didn't want to risk waking Angelina. The poor girl had only fallen asleep about an hour ago.

If only I could drift off into a dreamless sleep for awhile, too...But the nightmares were as much a part of me as my magic and my blood lust, and I was terrified that my next nightmare might become a prophecy.

Without a sufficient distraction, the "what ifs" crept up on me again.

What if Paul's e-mail address had changed and I couldn't find the new one? What if he was so upset with me for leaving that he refused to speak to me? What if he rejected me when I confessed to being a vampire?

Then I remembered the sensitive, open-minded boy I'd fallen in love with as a teenager, and I felt stupid for driving myself crazy with worry. If Paul could accept me as a witch, then surely he could get past the vampire and abandonment issues once I explained, and all would be forgiven between us...

I told myself that until I believed it, and then I made a valiant attempt to get lost in Dorian Gray's world. My plan failed miserably, however. The novel's plot and location brought back memories of my first few years as a vampire—and, therefore, memories of Stu-which resulted in me tossing the book aside after finishing the first chapter.

To my left, Angelina suddenly whimpered and twitched as if someone had struck her. I was debating whether to awake her and offer my consolation when she rolled over and pulled the comforter up to her chin. Since she was now facing my direction, I was able to watch the troubled expression slowly melt from her face until she appeared to be at peace once more.

_Damn you, Stu. Damn you for doing this to her. I _knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the cause of Angelina's nightmare, and I was beginning to regret not murdering him when I had the opportunity.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I ended up kneeling on the carpet and digging through one of the suitcases for Stu's old black T-shirt. I gathered the fabric in my arms, yanked out a strand of my own hair, and tucked it inside the cotton. Then I began whispering an old German spell over the bundle.

Without the necessary herbs and a lock of Stu's own hair, the images were blurred, like a grainy home movie from several decades ago. Nonetheless, I found myself in Stu's living room, watching him as a ghost might, as he picked up his favorite armchair and hurled it at the nearest window. It landed on the floor below without leaving even the faintest crack behind in the glass. Grim determination was written all over his face. He dragged the chair aside and turned to his next experiment—the sofa. That, too, went sailing through the air with the ease of a newspaper and met the same fate. I wondered how long he'd been doing this.

Not surprisingly, Stu let out a stream of expletives that would make a hardened sailor blush and took up pacing instead. I recalled that he often paced whenever confronted with a particularly frustrating dilemma.

Was it my imagination, or had he already worn a groove in the floorboards beneath his feet?

I took it as a sign to leave the scene when he seemed to look directly at my specter and cursed me by name through gritted teeth.

_He should be cursing himself, _I thought, once I returned to my senses. I immediately shoved the shirt back into my suitcase and zipped it up, then crawled back into bed. Stu wouldn't be in this mess right now if he had only thought about the potential consequences of abducting and torturing a witch-vampire and her soul mate before doing so.

With Stu imprisoned and Angelina's nightmare over, the only thing keeping me from relaxing was my desire to obsessively check my e-mail every five minutes. I somehow managed to distract myself by imagining a happy reunion with Paul and making mental lists of all the places I could visit and goals I could pursue in the future—with Angelina, with Paul, and by myself.

Despite my best efforts, my eyelids became heavy as dawn approached, and I ran out of strength to fight off the horrific visions that surely awaited me...

_My eyes were open, but I couldn't see anything. There was just a never-ending blackness._

_Had I gone blind?_

_I attempted to sit up, but something restricted my movements. I was relieved to rule out paralysis upon being able to wiggle my toes and fingers. I didn't seem to be tied up, either...My chest began to ache with panic as I reached up and felt a solid ceiling of wood mere inches from my head. Fingers brushed against wooden walls on either side of my body._

_A coffin. I was trapped in a coffin._

"_Help me! Somebody help me!" I screamed, my voice cracking with hysteria as I pounded and clawed the lid above my head in vain. I kept wondering why I wasn't strong enough to break through, and I hoped whoever locked me in this wretched thing would have a change of heart. "Get me out of here!"_

"_How does it feel, Katarina?" asked a male voice with a heavy English accent. There was something eerily familiar about that voice, but I couldn't place it. "Now you understand what it means to be a prisoner."_

"_Please..." I begged. I didn't understand what he was talking about. What could I have possibly done to him to deserve such a cruel fate? "Please let me out..." _

"_I love it when women beg for mercy," a second male voice said with a touch of amusement. His accent was less harsh in comparison and sounded Scottish to my ears. This voice, too, rang a bell deep within my subconscious._

"_She'll be doing a _lot _of that," the first man assured him, and the two shared a laugh over the frantic drumming of my fists. Meanwhile, I alternated between howling like a wounded animal, sobbing, and punching until sheer exhaustion finally took its toll. _

_Fortunately, common sense kicked in at that point, and I decided to resort to witchcraft. I was so excited at the prospect of freedom that I nearly screwed up the spell. Afterward, I pushed at the lid—and was stunned when it didn't budge even a centimeter. Had I done the spell wrong? _

_The men burst into merry laughter again._

"_You can cast all the spells you want, sweetheart, but I'm afraid your magic is never coming back," sneered the Englishman. _

_I cursed and started sifting through my memories for clues that would explain how the hell I ended up enclosed in a casket and surrounded by hostile men. _

_The last thing I remembered before the darkness was my girlfriend's distraught expression and her increasingly worried tone as she called my name repeatedly..._

"_Where's Angelina?" _

"_Who's Angelina?" the Scot wanted to know._

"_The blonde," his friend told him rather indifferently. _

"_Oh. _Her_." _

"_What happened to her?" I demanded shrilly. _

"_She's gone," they answered in unison._

"_Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?" I _hated _that word. It could mean anything—but the most likely definition was "dead." I choked on a fresh round of tears and struck out at the wood again in frustration. "Answer me, damn it! What did you _do_ to her?"_

"_It doesn't matter, because you'll never see her again," the Brit informed me coldly. _

"_Please..." Begging those bastards made me feel violently ill, but I was desperate and running out of alternatives. "I swear I'll do anything you want if-"_

"_Yes, you will." Judging by his smug tone, the Scottish creep must be smirking. "We own you now, Katie. You've no choice to obey us."_

"_No!" I stopped struggling against my wooden prison and went limp as a doll once it became clear that they weren't going to provide me with further information about Angelina's condition. Tears continued to rain down my face. "Just fucking _kill me_ already!" I meant every word, because I would much rather join Angelina in death—for these monsters had almost certainly killed her—than be subjected to the endless torture they had in mind for me. _

_I might as well have remained silent for all the good my pleas did._

"_You will be punished for your past sins regardless, but we will go easier on you for good behavior." The British voice gave me the impression of a sharpened knife blade pressed against my throat. "The choice is yours."_

My eyelids flew open again—for real this time. It took me a moment to realize that I was back in my flat, in my own bed, with Angelina sitting next to me. She was studying me, head tilted, worry lines temporarily etched into her features.

"Nightmare?" she asked quietly.

I shrugged. "It's nothing, really." _At least, I _hope_ it was just a bad dream and nothing more ominous.._.I almost inquired about Angelina's own nightmare, but thought better of it at the last second. She might have been lucky enough to forget, and, if not, the decision to discuss—or remain silent about-whatever tormented her subconscious should be hers alone.

"Okay then..." Angelina obviously wanted me to go into more detail, but she had proven to be equally respectful of my own privacy. God, I loved this woman. "Hey, did you ever e-mail Paul?"

I nodded and sat bolt upright. "Yes. Yes, I did. What time is it?"

"Uh...Nine-seventeen am, apparently." Angelina pointed out the time on the digital alarm clock perched on my nightstand.

I dashed over to the desk, accessed my e-mail account, and discovered that Paul had gotten back to me while I was sleeping.

"He responded."

"Oh, my God! That's so exciting!" Angelina squealed. She wrapped herself in the warmth of a blanket and hurried across the room to join me by my side. "What'd he say?"

I shared his simple response with her:_ I want to talk to you, love. Call collect if you need to. It's my day off. _Included were both his home and mobile numbers.

_Love._ The pet name thrilled me, even though Stu's constant use of the word had tainted the meaning somewhat. Paul still cared! He wasn't angry!

I was trembling so hard with anticipation that I punched in the wrong number several times. Angelina finally took pity on me and did it herself.

The phone rang twice before Paul answered his mobile. Hearing his lovely English accent again nearly made me swoon. I wisely sank onto the sofa before I could and had to gulp down the unexpected lump in my throat in order to speak.

"Hello, Paul."


	2. Inviting Danger

Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter, especially my faithful reviewers xj0j0x, Lay-Cool Lover, and Ainat! I'm sorry for the delay. I meant to update sooner, but I wasn't feeling well and I needed to take a break from writing. I hope this chapter was worth wating for. :)

* * *

"Katie? My God, I thought you were, uh..."

"Dead?" I supplied helpfully. Technically, it was true, although I preferred using the term "undead" to describe my condition since I wasn't a ghost or poltergeist. Angelina, meanwhile, respectfully vanished into the bedroom, blanket and all.

"Well, yeah," Paul admitted, and I could almost envision the exact shade of crimson that his cheeks had just been tinted. "As the months and years passed, I just assumed...I'm glad that you're alive, dear sister, but what happened? Why did you wait so long to contact me?" His voice cracked, and it took all of my willpower not to dissolve into tears right then and there.

"I'm sorry, Paul. I'm so sorry. I just..._couldn't_. It was too dangerous for both of us."

"'Dangerous'? I don't understand..."

"Eight years ago, I became a vampire." I decided that Paul didn't need to hear the whole story. I was afraid he might do something reckless with the information—like go on a suicide mission in order to defend his baby sister's honor. "It took me many years to learn to how to control my hunger and live safely among humans again."

If not for his sharp intake of breath and the rapid acceleration of his heart rate, I would have been convinced that Paul had fainted.

"It was Stu, wasn't it?" he growled at last. I imagined him with a death grip on his phone and his free hand clenched into a fist with barely-concealed outrage. "He did this to you, didn't he? There was something funny about him, and the way he used to look at you made my skin crawl..."

"It doesn't matter," I said in the soothing tone I used when erasing someone's memories. I could only hope my calmness would transfer to Paul via long distance. "What's done is done."

"I guess you're right." He sighed into the phone. "It's so good to hear from you again. I've missed you terribly."

"I-I missed you, too, Paul." Damn it. I was on the verge of crying again. "But enough about me. I want to hear all about _your_ life."

"Well, I achieved my dream of becoming a fireman, but the last few years have been rough," he admitted. "My wife and I are separated and she's got custody of our two sons, but at least I'm allowed visitation. And Sean..." The way he said his brother's name convinced me that something terrible had happened. Paul paused for a long moment before finishing his sentence. "Sean died in Afghanistan two years ago."

"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, Paul." The tears I'd been holding back finally gushed out, like water from an overflowing dam. My afterlife hadn't exactly been a bed of roses, but my family had been put through hell, too—especially Paul. I felt even worse when I realized that I was responsible for much of their grief. My heart ached with a despair I couldn't put into words and I sobbed inconsolably.

A confused and alarmed Angelina, clad in a dark purple long-sleeved tee and black pants I hadn't yet packed, reappeared and rushed over to me. She took up a position by my side on the sofa and pulled me into her arms like a mother comforting her frightened child.

"I should have been there for you, to help you through it," I whispered to Paul once I had calmed down enough to speak clearly.

"You're here now, and that's what matters," he reminded me. Then, in a near whisper of his own: "I know you've lost a lot, too."

He was right about that. I felt selfish and stupid for abandoning my family and friends to choose an eternity of drinking blood with Stu. How different everything would be right now if I hadn't! I managed a tiny smile to express my gratitude to Angelina for hugging me and dabbing at my tears, and she kissed me on the cheek.

"What about the rest of our family? Are they all right?" After my attack on Paul, I had forbidden myself to have contact with anyone else in my family, even by phone or e-mail. They were never far from my thoughts or my heart, though.

"They're okay, but they're still grieving. They'll be relieved to find out you're not dead."

"Are they still in Germany, or back in England, or..."

"Our parents"-Paul had always considered my mum his second mother-"stayed in Germany, but your sister moved to California. If I give you their numbers, will you promise to contact them?"

"I promise," I swore, and I meant it, too—but first I'd have to come up with a believable excuse for my disappearing act. My mortal father and stepfather were completely oblivious to the supernatural world, and I intended to keep it that way. On the other hand, I wouldn't be able to hide my secret from my mother and sister for long, since they were both witches.

"What about you, Katie? Surely, you've been doing _something _with your life besides just drinking blood and avoiding the sun."

"I have a girlfriend." I hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, but my mouth sometimes operated on its own without consulting my brain first. I dared to steal a glance at Angelina and saw her beam proudly before she turned away and busied herself with straightening a pile of magazines on the coffee table.

"A girlfriend?" Paul sounded startled—and why shouldn't he be? I'd never once been attracted to a woman in all the years he had known me. To his credit, though, he recovered from the shock quickly. "I hope she makes you happy." He was trying to be civil, but his tone betrayed how difficult it was for him to reconcile his feelings for his old flame with his desire for me to find happiness.

"She does."

"Good. Hey, there's something I've been meaning to ask you...Will you come see me, Katie? I'm taking two weeks of holiday around Christmas, and I have a spare room you're welcome to use."

"That sounds lovely." Although I desperately wanted to see Paul again, I felt like there was a heavy weight crushing my chest. True, there was always the possibility of losing control like I did last time—but _any_ human being, Angelina included, could trigger my blood lust. And, of course, there was the danger of falling for Paul all over again. However, I was far more worried about the meaning behind my latest nightmare. Upon awakening, I identified Stu and Drew as the men who had taunted me while I was locked inside the coffin, and I took it as a sign that one or both of them were going to capture and torture me—and _soon_. England, of course, was the first place they'd search...

Paul and I talked for nearly an hour. I managed to prevent my anxiety from seeping into my voice and rattling him, but there was a nauseaus, gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach the whole time.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Angelina asked gently after I ended my conversation with Paul. I nodded and told her about Sean's death, which earned me another hug and some consoling words.

"Paul wants me to visit him next month," I added, frowning at the phone, which was still cradled in my hands. "He's going on holiday around Christmas for two weeks."

"You're going, right?"

I chose not to respond and read Paul's mobile number off the printed-out e-mail instead. I started to punch in each individual digit, international dialing code included, but Angelina snatched the phone away from me before I could place my call.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to ask Paul to come here instead." I reached for my phone, but she jumped to her feet and backed away, holding the device well out of my reach. "Don't make me use my vampire superpowers on you, Angelina," I teased.

"Katie, what's going on?" Angelina demanded. Her tone made it perfectly clear that I wasn't going to get away with evading her forever. "Why the sudden change of plans?"

"I'm afraid to return to England," I confessed with some trepidation. "There's someone from my past I don't want to run into—someone _evil_—and I think he might be living there."

Angelina's eyes widened. "Damn, Katie. How many enemies do you _have_?"

"Just two, as far as I know: Stu and his best friend, Drew Galloway."

"Is Drew a vampire, too?"

I nodded. "Drew was obsessed with me...He tried to rape me one night, and he would have succeeded if I hadn't used my magic against him-"

"That _bastard_!" Angelina snarled.

"He's the reason I left Stu. When I told him what happened, Stu turned on me. He beat me up and accused me of trying to seduce Drew and cheating on him with other men." I felt strangely detached from my emotions, as if I were reading from a script for a role I didn't really want, and my voice reflected it.

"_What_? That's_ horrible_!" Angelina exclaimed with a gasp. She shook her head and tried to comfort me by slipping an arm around my shoulder. "Stu is _such_ an asshole."

"I waited until Stu calmed down, then I made my escape," I continued in a flat tone. I imagined Angelina would have sounded something like this—minus my accent—had she been able to talk when she was still a zombie. "I fled to North America two years ago and never looked back."

"I don't blame you for being scared of Drew, Katie, but you shouldn't be." Angelina smiled at me reassuringly. "You've got witchcraft on your side, and you can totally take this creep out again if you have to."

_Things were different back then,_ I thought wistfully. I had no idea whether my magic had become diluted with time and from lack of use. I didn't know how long I could keep Stu contained, or even if Angelina's humanity was permanently restored.

"You're right. I keep forgetting that my magic is back. I lost it for many years.." I placed my mobile phone decisively on the coffee table and leaned back against the sofa. I told myself that I was giving away my power to Drew and Stu every time I ran or hid from them, and I didn't want them to continue controlling my actions for the rest of time. "It's settled, then. I'm going."

"Good for you." Angelina smiled and patted my knee. "Now that your problem is solved, can I get something to eat? I'm starving."

"Sure. Get my laptop." Lexington, Kentucky wasn't as cosmopolitan as New York, Toronto, or LA, but it wouldn't be hard to find a restaurant offering delivery. I wondered how Angelina would feel about pizza or Chinese for breakfast. She dutifully returned a minute or two later with my laptop.

"Aren't you even a little jealous?" I asked as I started typing away. I know I would have suffering from the green-eyed monster if the situation were reversed.

She rolled her pretty blue eyes. "Of course I'm jealous, Katie! I wouldn't be human—uh, no offense—if I wasn't. I mean, you're about to reunited with your hot ex-boyfriend who's also a really nice guy. But he's also your family and you haven't seen him in, like, forever. I would be a total bitch if I kept you guys apart."

"You're not a bitch, Angelina." She had been nothing but supportive of my reunion with Paul in spite of whatever reservations she had.

She smirked. "I will be if I go another hour or so without my morning coffee."

"You should come with me," I suggested. "Paul was going to put me up at his place, but we could rent a hotel room, and you could do some sightseeing during the day-"

"No," she insisted with a firm shake of the head. "You two have a lot of catching up to do, and I would only get in the way. Besides, I have to go back to New York and start packing, and I want to let my friends and family know I'm still alive and well."

"You should," I agreed, recalling Paul's excitement. "It would mean a lot to them. In the meantime, you're welcome to borrow from my wardrobe. What's mine is yours, love."

Angelina grinned. "Thanks. I always wanted to rock the goth look."

My heart felt a bit lighter as I searched for local restaurants. I had over a month before I left for the UK-plenty of time to spend with and get to know Angelina, yet not long at all before I was reunited with Paul. I pushed those dreadful doubts and fears to the back of my mind and thought to myself that things were starting to look up.

Maybe happy endings, like vampires and witches, actually existed...

* * *

"Paul!" I broke into a grin at the sight of my long-lost stepbrother and almost propelled myself into his arms with supernatural speed, but I forced myself to stay at the agonizingly slow pace of a normal human woman jogging. I didn't want to risk making myself the center of attention in Heathrow.

"Katie!" He laughingly picked me up in a big bear hug as if I were a little girl, then held me at arm's length and examined me with shiny eyes. "You haven't changed a bit—except for the fangs," he added in a lower tone.

I laughed, too. "Are they showing?" Paul _had_ changed, of course: He was older-thirty-two, to be exact-and his hair was shorter. He seemed tired, too, but that might have had something to do with picking me up at such a late hour. But those were only physical changes, and he still exuded the sensitive, boyish charm that I had found irresistible from the very beginning.

"Just a little." Paul smiled, but his face had paled somewhat. Even though I'd told him in advance, I knew nothing could prepare him for the shock of actually seeing his beloved sister as a vampire.

"Oh! Crowd scenes are still difficult for me," I confessed, discreetly covering my mouth with one hand and feigning a cough. Hearing blood swish through endless veins and listening to a symphony of hearts beating at different tempos was making my mouth water. Traveling during the holiday season wasn't the best idea for a young vampire.

"Let's get out of here," Paul suggested. Like the gentleman he was, he took my suitcases, but he groaned and raised an eyebrow at their combined weight. "Did you pack everything you own for this trip?"

"Very funny." I rolled my eyes and smirked as I followed Paul toward the appropriate exit. We carefully weaved a trail through the anxious, excited, and very noisy masses. My ears were starting to ache from the added sensory stimulation.

I felt better once we left the airport and I settled into the passenger seat of Paul's battered car for the short trip to his home just outside of London. I would, however, need to go hunting before sunrise—unless, of course, Paul agreed to make a generous donation.

"Remember what I always used to say to you?"

"'What Katie wants, Katie gets'?"

He nodded. "I still mean that. If you ever get, uh...hungry..."

"How sweet of you to offer, Paul. Thank you." I was tempted to ask him when he had developed psychic abilities, but he'd always known me as well as I knew myself.

"I trust you. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me."

_You wouldn't say that if you could remember what I did to you eight years ago..._

"Of course not. Like I said, I'm in control now."

"What's it like, being a vampire?"

How could I possibly describe my condition to a human being? Being a vampire meant having every single one of your senses cranked up to the maximum level at all times and mood swings that caused one to both experience the highest of highs and sink to lows of unimaginable depths.

"Overwhelming."

"Can you still do magic?" Paul, apparently, had decided against pressing me for a more detailed description. Maybe he was afraid of what I had to say.

_Ask Stu._ "Yes. To be honest, I thought I had lost it for good after Stu—I mean, after I became a vampire, but I recently got my abilities back." I glanced over at Paul and noticed that his expression had hardened. Oops. I hadn't meant to blurt out my maker's identity, but Paul's intuition had already nudged him in the right direction.

"I knew it. I just _knew _that bastard was involved...I could _kill him_ for doing this to you-"

"There's no need. He's currently serving an eternal prison sentence." Oh, dear. I'd counted on Paul going into protective older brother mode, but he was blaming the wrong party for my fate. I neglected to tell him that I _wanted_ to become a vampire and had nagged, begged, and threatened Stu until he agreed to turn me. I was afraid that my stepbrother might take the rejection personally once he heard the whole story.

Being turned against your will and forced to leave your family and friends behind garnered sympathy and compassion; choosing eternal life at the expense of loved ones sounded rather heartless in comparison.

"He's doing _what_?" Paul's head whipped around so fast I feared he'd develop a case of whiplash. Fortunately, he remembered that he was supposed to be watching the road and immediately began to concentrate on his driving again.

"I used my magic to trap him inside his house-forever."

"What the hell did he do to you, Katie? You're not the type of witch who uses dark magic without a good reason."

"Let's just say Stu wasn't the man I thought he was and leave it at that."

"As long as he can't hurt you...That's all I need to know." I heard his fingers crunch as they strangled the steering wheel. I'm sure he was mentally charging Stu with a litany of felonies: Assault, rape, stalking—even murder for turning me.

"He can't, I assure you. Hey, do you remember Stu's friend Drew? Tall, long, brown hair, blue eyes?"

Paul nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember him. Why?"

"Do you know if he's still living in England?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in years. Were you planning to visit him while you're here?"

"No," I blurted out, earning a suspicious sidelong glance as a result. "I was just wondering what happened to him and some of the other...people I knew from university. I think Drew was the only one you knew personally."

My stepbrother smirked. "Let me guess: The others weren't human."

"Not a one," I confirmed cheerfully, and he laughed, but I declined to inform him that Drew fell into that category, too.

"So, how long are you planning to stay in the States?"

"Not long. I'm ready to move on, but I haven't decided on a destination yet...Somewhere in Europe sounds nice." Angelina had been intrigued by my dual English and German background and confessed that she'd always wanted to travel throughout Europe—indeed, world travel was one of the reasons behind her rock star ambitions. The idea of visiting new countries appealed to me, too, but I also wanted to put down roots somewhere and have a nice flat or even a house of our own to come home to. Living out of a suitcase got tiring and stressful after awhile.

"Would you, uh, considering living here for awhile? England, I mean—not my house," he added with an embarrassed yet optimistic smile. Paul's right hand remained on the steering wheel, but his left hand gave mine a brief but firm squeeze. I wished I could feel the familiar warmth of his fingers through his thick leather gloves.

"It's a possibility," I murmured after a long moment. I had to keep reminding myself that my fear was irrational since I'd reconnected with my witch side. Stu was no longer an obstacle, and Drew, even at his most predatory, was defenseless against magic.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the gruesome mental image of Drew and Angelina kissing. The only thing that soothed my rattled nerves was the idea of putting a protection spell on Angelina—a magical restraining order—to keep that bastard far, far away from her...

"Katie?"

"Yes?" I blinked and turned to Paul, and I was touched by the concern that flashed in his eyes.

"You all right? You kind of zoned out for a minute there."

"I'm fine. I...I was just thinking that I should ask Angelina—my girlfriend—first before I make any plans."

"Oh. Yeah, good idea," Paul agreed quickly.

Both of us fell silent after that. I couldn't tell whether the silence was awkward or companionable at first, but, as the minutes dragged on, it began to feel like an invisible wall had been built between us. Well, that answered my question about whether there was still unresolved tension...We might have moved on romantically, and we would always be connected as siblings and friends, but we had also been intimate for a long time—and being so close to each other risked stirring up those dying embers.

He suddenly cleared his throat. "Uh...What are you going to do with all this time on your hands?"

"I started making a—well, not exactly a life list, or a bucket list, but something along those lines." I was relieved by his decision to change the subject.

"An eternity list?" Paul suggested, and I grinned.

"That's it. Anyway, I want to travel around the world, start dancing again, learn a few more languages, maybe write a novel...or thousands of novels."

Paul laughed and shook his head. "You sound so _human_, Katie. I almost forgot that you're a vampire now."

"You almost made me forget that I'm one, too," I said softly, and he took his eyes off the road for a second to smile at me.

His tender expression transported me to a more innocent time, back when we were just Paul and Katie, two step-siblings who became best friends—and I vowed not to allow either Drew Galloway or my memories of Stu Bennett ruin our family reunion.


	3. The Mystery Begins

Thank you as always to my lovely reviewers, xj0j0x, Lay-Cool Lover, and Ainat. The drama and excitement start in this chapter. :D Enjoy!

* * *

"_It's good to see you again, Katarina."_

_Hearing Stu's voice caused me to whirl around so fast it made me dizzy. He was watching me with a malicious grin plastered across his face, slowly shaking his head as if he'd caught a child in the act of doing something naughty. My knees melted into jelly and threatened to give way, so I grabbed the back of the sofa for support. _

"_How did you...But it's impossible! My spell was unbreakable!"_

"_Obviously not, love, because here I am." He dropped his grin and replaced it with a condescending smirk. "Did you _really_ think you could have the best of both worlds?"_

"_What are you talking about?" I began to back away slowly, for fear that running would trigger his predatory instincts. My only comfort at the moment was knowing that Angelina had gone shopping and wouldn't return for at least another hour. I dreaded the thought of what horrors she might come home to._

"_You sacrificed your magic to become a vampire—and you continue to do so. You'll never be as powerful as you once were."_

_He was clearly speaking the truth, but I was so desperate that I began to recite another spell. This one was meant to banish Stu from a property as opposed to sealing him inside._

_Nothing happened._

_I tried another spell, and another, struggling to hear myself over Stu's uproarious laughter. _

"_Nothing can save you now, Katarina—not even your beloved magic." I shivered as he removed a matchbook from his pocket, whipped out a match, and struck it against the rough exterior surface. "I should have done this a long time ago...It's the only way to keep you with me for eternity."_

"_You might kill yourself, too," I warned him. My heart sank as I realized it was daylight and I faced certain death regardless of whether I stayed here or made it out of the flat. My only hope for survival was trying to bargain with a madman. I increased my speed as I backed away, but Stu easily covered the same distance with fewer strides and caught up to me almost immediately. "Did you ever think of that?"_

"_That's a chance I'm willing to take," he said icily, and flicked the lit match at my feet._

I sat up with a gasp, relieved to wake up in the sparse, familiar surroundings of Paul's guest bedroom and not the Lexington flat I shared with Angelina—the same flat Stu had so violently invaded in my nightmare. I peeled away the layers of bedding, swung my legs over the side of my bed, and stayed in that position for a few minutes while I waited for my muscles to stop trembling.

Angelina! What if Stu had escaped and gotten to her? I thought about ringing her up or texting to inquire about her welfare, but then I realized that wasn't such a good idea in my panicked state and chose to check my voice mail instead. I was incredibly relieved to hear a recent message from Angelina informing me that, although she was having fun in New York, she missed me and planned to call later just to catch up. Happily, I was unable to discern even the slightest bit of tension in her tone.

Besides, surely I would have _known_ somehow if she was in danger or hurt...I would have received a sign or _felt_ something by now...I decided to take my mobile downstairs with me and slipped it into a side pocket in my jeans, even though it would be impossible for me to miss a call with hearing like mine.

I heard Paul walking around as I descended the staircase. I found him in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a sandwich. He turned to me with a smile that immediately vanished upon seeing my sour expression.

"Did you have another nightmare, dear sister?" Paul regarded me with sympathy, having consoled me many times over the years for that very reason.

"Yes," I mumbled. I heard the teapot whistle and automatically turned in that direction. Seeing the flame dancing menacingly underneath the kettle caused a jolt of terror to race through my body. Shuddering, I turned away and headed for the nearest chair. Paul, being the gentleman he was, took me by the arm and guided me over to the chair, then pulled it out for me.

It was the sort of polite, "ladies first" gesture Stu used to do for me before everything went to hell between us.

"Do you want some tea?" Paul offered. He immediately cringed and delivered a light slap to his forehead. "Sorry. I know you've been here a week already, but I keep forgetting you can't eat or drink."

"At least my presence hasn't increased your grocery bill," I reminded him. I could feel my lips tug into a faint smirk in spite of the dark mood that hung over me like a storm cloud.

"True..." Paul joined me at the table with his sandwich and a cup of steaming hot, sugar-free black tea. He studied me while he decided whether to speak up or bite his tongue.

"Was it just a nightmare—or something more?" he asked hesitantly. I noticed that Paul had often been reluctant to ask for elaboration on certain subjects. He seemed to know intuitively that there were certain things I was neither ready nor willing to discuss in detail, and he tread carefully. I appreciated that.

I frowned as I thought it over. "I'm not sure yet. It's probably nothing." I could usually tell the difference, but the line had blurred considerably since losing and reconnecting with my magic. That possibility raised other, frightening questions I didn't dare contemplate.

"I sure hope so." Paul gave me a reassuring smile, but anxiety flared in his eyes.

I glanced at the clock while Paul ate. It was almost six-thirty at night. He was having dinner, but he was about to _be_ dinner if I didn't find someone else soon. My throat burned, my teeth ached, and my stomach was starting to growl.

We were both very fortunate that it was winter and the sun had already set.

"Hungry?" I turned to him, startled, and tried not to look too closely at the veins lurking just beneath the surface of the delicate skin covering his throat. Paul blushed and added, "Your eyes are starting to turn red again."

"I should go now." I pushed my chair back in a hurry, causing the chair's legs to scrape shrilly against the linoleum, and got to my feet. "Thank you for being there for me, Paul. It means a lot."

"Any time. But you don't have to-"

"I want to." I smiled at him distractedly, doing my best to ignore the outstretched arm he offered to me. Paul had gallantly offered his blood to me every night this week—and every night, I politely refused his suggestion. I was afraid that drinking his blood again would give me a taste for it and put him in danger.

Eight years ago, I nearly killed my brother by accident—and I wasn't about to take that risk again.

"Don't wait up, big brother," I teased, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat. I gave him a peck on the cheek, grabbed my winter coat off the pegboard mounted next to the back door, slipped on some boots, and was out the door before he could try to persuade me otherwise.

* * *

Paul was sound asleep on the sofa when I returned from my hunting trip. The poor thing had completely destroyed his regular sleep schedule in an attempt to enjoy my company for as long as possible, and he often took short naps to compensate.

Smiling, I removed my coat and draped it over the back of Paul's comfortable old armchair. I then took my phone out of my pocket with the intention of returning Angelina's call. I knew she was eager to discuss our future move to Engliand. In her own words: "I'll go anywhere with you, Katie—as long as it's a big city with a killer nightlife." London definitely fit the bill.

I froze as my senses suddenly went into overdrive. The air around me tingled with electricity, and a twinge of pain made it's way across my forehead.

_Someone is in this house—someone who isn't human. Drew?_

My internal alarm system should have given me a sign before I even walked through the front door, but it hadn't, and now I had very little time to take action.

I had to get Paul out of here. He would be completely defenseless against a supernatural entity. I began to shake his arm, trying desperately to wake him without hurting him, when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.

The next thing I knew, someone slammed me against the hallway wall. I found myself staring into the smirking face of Drew Galloway.

Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. Despite being a vampire with the power of witchcraft, I was so terrified that I almost fainted on the spot.

"Hello, Katie."

Not surprisingly, Drew looked smashing in a black leather jacket, white T-shirt, and dark jeans, with his trademark smirk and ponytail in place. Unfortunately, I had learned long ago that Drew's good looks were his _only_ redeeming quality.

"How did you get in here?" I demanded in a choked voice, even though I already knew the answer. My emotions and my headache were getting in the way of the clear, calm thinking I needed to remember an appropriate spell. I needed to buy myself some more time, because escape would be impossible without using magic...

"You should have taught your brother not to invite vampires in. I thought you knew better than that."

"What did you do to him?" If I hadn't heard Paul's heart beating, I would have rushed over to make sure that he was still breathing.

Drew shrugged. "I didn't hurt him, if that's what you're thinking. I merely suggested that he was tired and needed to sleep for a few hours."

As luck would have it, Angelina chose that exact moment to ring me up. Drew pried the mobile phone from my tightly clenched fingers and examined it before returning it to me.

"Who's Angelina?" He seemed amused. "Your best friend? Perhaps even your girlfriend?" I gave him a stony glare but said nothing. "Answer it. Tell 'Angelina' you can't talk right now and you'll call her back later." When I hesitated, Drew reappeared by Paul and traced his carotid artery with a finger. He glanced back at me, fangs elongated threateningly. "Do it or I'll rip his throat out."

_That _got the results he wanted. I whipped open my phone.

"Now...Now isn't a good time, Angelina." I tried to sound distracted as opposed to frightened, but I knew my nerves came through in my voice. My acting skills were too rusty to pull this scheme off convincingly. "I'll call you back, I promise."

"Katie? Katie, what's going on? Katie!" Angelina's sharp tone, laced with panic, cut through the tension in the room, and I heard Drew snicker. He grabbed the mobile, snapped it shut, and carelessly tossed it onto the coffee table, cracking the device into several pieces.

"Take your hand off my brother—_now_," I ordered, but I was trembling like a leaf and didn't sound very intimidating.

"You, my dear, are not in a position to order me around," Drew responded, but, to my relief, he complied. A heartbeat later, he was standing just inches away from me, with an infuriatingly superior smirk on his face, as if he knew something I didn't and was tormenting me by keeping that information a secret. He bowed his tall frame slightly and tilted my chin upward. The other arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his body. His touch sickened me. "I've wanted to do this for so long..."

I suddenly felt as if I'd been turned into a statue. There were dozens of spells on the tip of my tongue, spells that could kill or maim even an old, powerful vampire like Drew, but my voice box had become paralyzed. When my magic failed, every molecule in my being frantically supplied me with alternatives: Run like hell, scratch his eyes out, scream bloody murder...But I couldn't do _those _things, either.

The second Drew's lips brushed against mine, it felt as if a bomb had gone off inside my head.

I stumbled backward, bumping into the wall, and clutched my head as bloodcurdling, animalistic howls of pain were repeatedly ripped from my throat. When I opened my eyes, the room began to spin and melt into a blur of gray and my knees buckled. Drew's supernaturally quick reflexes allowed him to catch me just before I collapsed, preventing the back of my skull from smashing into the hardwood floor below.

"What...How..." I wasn't even capable of finishing a sentence. The excruciating pain and accompanying nausea had rendered me completely incoherent. My diminishing vision had reduced Drew's features to mere shadows, but I knew the slimy bastard was still smirking.

I was both relieved and terrified when the darkness finally engulfed me.

* * *

_Am I dead?_

The white light was so blindingly bright that it burned my retinas and made my eyes water. I quickly squeezed them shut again, which succeeded in dimming the wretched light somewhat. I didn't find it welcoming, but I wasn't getting a judgmental vibe, either. Strange.

Then the pain kicked in—a dull, throbbing sensation that wrapped around my skull and caused me to groan involuntarily.

_I'm not dead. I'm alive._

I dared to open my eyes again, blinking rapidly as my vision slowly adjusted to the blistering white light. I soon realized that I was wrapped in soft, comforting fabric. A bed. A hospital bed, perhaps?

"Katie?" I turned in the direction of the male voice, moving my neck slowly to the right so as to avoid jolting my poor head with a fresh wave of pain. I wasn't sure who Katie was, but at least I wasn't alone. Although an aura of white obscured the man's features, I caught flashes of an impressive brown mane of hair, blue eyes, and a worried expression. Behind him, I could just make out several paintings on the wall and a dresser.

"Thank God you're finally awake!" the voice continued in an accent that might have been Scottish. "I've been worried sick about you. How are you feeling?" His fingers tenderly brushed a stray lock of curly, dark brown hair away from my face and trailed down my cheek. It was a gesture was slightly creepy since he was a complete stranger, but there was something oddly comforting about it at the same time.

"I have a headache...Who are you?" I muttered in a raspy, English-accented tone.

The man smirked. "Very funny, Katie, but now isn't the time-"

"I'm serious." There was that name again: _Katie_. It belonged to me, apparently. I tried to sift through my memories for other hints to my identity, but, to my horror, I soon discovered there was only a gaping black hole where that personal information should have been stored. My entire identity, along with the events that took it away, seemed to have been erased. "What happened to me?" Tears welled up in my eyes—I couldn't even remember what color they were—and I punched the mattress in frustration. "Why can't I remember anything?"

My eyes had adjusted to the light the best they could, but it was still too bright. I blinked a few times, and the man's features, as well as the entire room, came into focus. His shocked expression didn't distract from his beauty in the slightest. He was probably in his mid-to-late twenties, and stunningly attractive in an androgynous way...Very tall, too, judging by those long legs dangling off the side of the bed.

"You went into a coma for several days after complaining of a migraine," he said quietly after an odd silence that went on far too long for my comfort. "I was afraid that I might lose you forever." He took my hand in both of his and planted a kiss on top. I almost slid my hand out from underneath, but I was touched by his concern for me and reconsidered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

A coma? I suppose the damage was sufficient enough to cause memory loss—or perhaps an aneurism or stroke was responsible...With luck, the amnesia wouldn't last long and soon I'd be able to piece together the rest of my life story.

"You still haven't told me who you are," I reminded him. Obviously, I meant a great deal to him, judging by the tender way he looked at me. It seemed very likely that we were lovers.

He was visibly distressed by my confusion. "Sweetheart, it's me, Drew—your boyfriend." Drew looked even more startled, if possible, when his announcement failed to get a dramatic reaction out of me. All I had given him was a blank stare in response. "You don't remember me at all?"

I shook my head sorrowfully, and the tears I'd blinked back finally escaped and splashed onto my cheeks, one at a time. After a moment's hesitation, Drew reached out and carefully wiped my tears away with his thumb.

"Well, now that I know who _you_ are, could you please tell me who_ I_ am?"


	4. Meet Katie

Thank you to xj0j0x, Ainat, ElizaMassani, and Lay-Cool Lover for reviewing. If you hated Drew already (and who didn't?), you'll want to stake him starting with this chapter!

* * *

"This lovely lass is Katie," Drew explained as he introduced me to my reflection. He stood behind me, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. I was a little unsteady on my feet, so I was grateful that he was nearby should I lose my balance. "Her—_your_—full name is Katarina Leigh Waters." He then spelled out my first and middle names for me.

The young woman in the full-length mirror was tall, blessed with curves in all the right places and slender elsewhere. She had a fair complexion that was in striking contrast to the curly, dark brown hair spilling halfway down her back. Her eyes were a lighter shade of blue than Drew's, but they were framed by thin, carefully plucked brows and long lashes, and her eye color was enhanced by a combination of gray shadow and black liner and mascara. She had a nice nose, and her face was slightly rounded in a feminine way. Full, pink lips formed a tentative smile. With a form-fitting, black wardrobe that consisted of a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, she looked almost gothic.

Although I wasn't comfortable saying it out loud, I couldn't help but agree with Drew that I was indeed a beauty.

"I know you must have a lot of questions, and I promise to answer every single one, but...For now, I'm just going to give you some basic history."

"All right..." I allowed Drew to guide me back to the bed, one arm wrapped around my shoulder as he did so, and we both perched on the end of velvety black comforter. I was aware of a slight, gnawing pain forming within my stomach, but I ignored it the best I could, because I was more interested in getting answers than eating right now.

"You're thirty-one years old"-I gasped and craned my neck to study my reflection once again-"but you could easily pass for a university student. You were born and raised in Lüneburg, Germany, although your parents were British and that's why you have a British accent. You came to London to study acting, but then...Well, not to sound arrogant, but you met me and decided to stay."

I laughed. "I don't blame myself." But, in spite of my lighthearted tone, there was something troubling me—something Drew had mentioned that made an alarm go off in my head. "Drew...You said my parents _were_ British, not _are_ British. Are they...dead?"

"Oh, Katie," he sighed. "Yes, they are. I'm afraid your parents and siblings—two brothers and a sister-died many years ago."

"What happened?" I asked quietly. It was painful enough not being able to remember my boyfriend, but to have lost every single memory I had of my family, whom I would never see again...It just seemed incredibly unfair. I made a mental note to ask Drew later if I had any pictures of them.

"Your childhood home in Lüneburg caught fire when you were a teenager. It was completely destroyed...There were no survivors, unfortunately." He paused, a faraway look in his eyes. "The only reason you were spared is because you were staying with a friend that night."

"How awful," I whispered. I waited for the memories to come flooding back, or at least an outburst of hysterical grief, but I only felt the general sadness of someone who had just been informed of a tragedy that struck complete strangers.

There seemed to be no point in asking about the photographs now...

"I'm sorry," Drew murmured. "I know it must come as quite a shock to you."

"Let's talk about something else," I said quickly. "I want to know what I'm passionate about and what my talents are. Maybe doing something I love will help jog my memory." I winced as another, more insistent, stomach cramp made itself known.

"Well...In addition to acting, you love anything to do with the arts: Movies, music, dancing, reading...You're also a natural athlete and your favorite sport is swimming. You are fluent in English, German, and French, and you love traveling and cats, too."

I was impressed with the resume Drew provided. I came across as someone who had lived a full, adventurous life. I'm sure I would have had many interesting stories to tell—if only I could remember them.

"And what do _you _like, Drew?" It dawned on me that he had been patiently answering my every question for quite some time, but my boyfriend was still a mystery to me.

"Other than you?" he asked with a smirk. "Art, especially the visual arts, and traveling the world."

"It seems we have a lot in common." For the first time since awakening, I allowed my gaze to thoroughly sweep over the bedroom, drinking in the dramatic oil paintings and watercolors on the wall and the fragile sculptures gracing the shelves and dresser. I felt the cool plushness of the burgundy throw rug underneath my feet. It was a shade that almost matched the nail polish used for my pedicure. Drew's taste in home décor was no doubt as expensive as it was sophisticated. "How long have we been together?"

"About eight years."

"I assume we both live here." I had no idea whether "here" was a house or a flat, but we more than likely shared the same place after being together so long. We must really be in love to remain a couple for nearly a decade.

_Damn it. _While I was grateful that my headache had vanished, this new form of pain was even more wretched. I wondered if I was just hungry or if the cramps were PMS-related.

"Yes." Drew cleared his throat, and I turned my attention back to him. His anguished face immediately caused a knot to form in my stomach. "Katie...There's something else I have to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked quietly, feeling my chest constrict with anxiety. In one day, I'd both lost a lifetime of memories and learned that my entire family was dead. What could possibly be worse than that?

"You and I, we have one more thing in common." Drew took a deep breath, but I distracted him from his intended speech when I gasped and doubled over in pain. Tears stung my eyes as I pressed my hands to my stomach, trying in vain to alleviate the nagging ache that now made me feel as if my insides were burning. Drew immediately tried to comfort me.

"I'm fine. Just a little stomachache," I protested with tears in my eyes, but Drew would have none of it. He helped me back into bed and tucked me in like a sick little girl.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Katie," he said soothingly. "I'll be right back with something to...eat, and you'll feel better in no time."

I was astonished to clearly hear every footstep and every movement that Drew made elsewhere. I heard plastic rip, inhaled the scent of something deliciously bittersweet, and listened to liquid splashing into a glass. As I did, pain raced through my gums and teeth. Something sharp connected with my tongue in two places, drawing blood.

I felt a rush of terror as I shifted my position in bed so I could examine myself in the full-length mirror mounted on the back of the door. When I opened my mouth, I discovered that my canine teeth had been replaced with a pair of fangs.

"Katie?" My scream brought Drew running in record time. He flung the door open and stared at me in horror. "What is it?"

"Were you about to tell me I'm a vampire?" I mumbled around the fangs, but my attention was drawn to the wine glass in his right hand. It was filled to the brim with what I now identified as blood, and, incredibly, not a drop appeared to have been spilled. My senses went into overdrive at the sight and scent.

"Yes," he confessed sheepishly, dipping his head. "Actually, we're _both_ vampires. Here." He crossed the room and handed me the wine glass, then knelt anxiously by my side.

It took all of my self-control to pace myself when I just wanted to swallow the contents in one gulp. A few rather large sips later, my aches and pains receded.

"I should have realized you would be starving. That was my mistake," Drew admitted, visibly embarrassed.

"I'm just relieved that I found out the truth before I went on a killing spree." My attempt at a joke came off a bit morbid, because I feared that was a very real possibility someday.

"I wouldn't allow you to do that," Drew assured me. "We've never been the kind of vampires who torture and murder human beings for fun."

Well, that was a relief. I didn't want to hear that I was a bloodthirsty serial killer, or in love with someone who was.

"Did you do this to me?" I was going for curiosity, but I worried that my tone came across as accusing. That certainly wasn't my intention, and I was relieved that Drew seemed to understand. He didn't look offended in the slightest.

Drew nodded. "It was what you wanted—what we both wanted. We were in love, and it was the only way we could be together forever.

"I met you as you were leaving a pub one night," he continued. "You'd had a bit too much to drink because, as you told me later, you were homesick and grieving your family, and drinking helped you forget. Some pathetic excuse of a man tried to take advantage of you, and I roughed him up and ran him off. I wanted to _kill _him, but you were already upset and I didn't want to frighten you even more. We became friends after that, and eventually lovers."

I shivered. If Drew hadn't shown up when he had, I might have been raped-even killed-or became a hardcore alcoholic.

"How did I find out you were a vampire?" I set the empty glass on the nightstand and hoped there was more where that came from.

"You saw my fangs when I attacked that bastard and came _this close_ to draining him. Once you got over your initial shock and realized I wasn't going to hurt you, you stopped being afraid of me." He smirked. "Actually, you were quite intrigued by my condition. I found out later that you were one of those girls who liked reading stories about vampires and ghosts and watching horror movies."

I laughed, but I wasn't exactly surprised to learn this fact about myself. Anyone judging me by my clothing and makeup would automatically assume I was a fan of the darker things in life.

"You know, I don't understand why I can remember some things but not others. I thought people with amnesia were supposed to forget _everything_—like how to brush their teeth and what year it is."

Drew's lips quirked into the tiniest of smiles. "Real life rarely imitates movies and television. Besides, I've never heard of something like this happening to a vampire. Hunger can cause headaches, even fainting, but you had just fed before you collapsed, and it certainly wouldn't explain the amnesia..." He shrugged, his expression apologetic, and roughly combed his fingers through his long, chestnut brown hair. "I'm afraid I'm just as confused as you are, Katie."

"I suppose it doesn't really matter how I lost my memory," I told him after taking a minute or two to reflect, and I put on a brave smile as I patted his arm. "The important thing is that I get it back—or at least _try_ to get it back." I swallowed hard, hoping to keep the fear at bay so I wouldn't drown in it. "But, if I can't-"

"Don't say that, Katie. Don't give up hope yet," Drew pleaded.

"I can still make new memories with you," I finished.

He stared at me in astonishment. "I think you're the strongest woman I've ever met."

I dismissed his compliment with a wave of my hand. "What choice do I have? Sitting 'round feeling sorry for myself won't change things."

"Well, you're right about that, but perhaps a tour of our home would help—if you're up to it," Drew suggested.

"It's worth a try," I agreed, flinging off the layers of bedding with enthusiasm. Drew offered me his hand and I took it, waiting for him to gracefully rise to his feet and help me off the bed. Like a true gentleman, he insisted that I be the first to walk through the door. I suspected that his manners came from growing up in a different, more civilized time period.

"Your house is practically an art museum," I commented, admiring the various paintings in the hallway. I realized what I said and immediately corrected my statement: "_Our _house, I mean." And what a lovely home we shared! I suspected that some, if not all, of the pieces in Drew's collection were originals.

He smiled. "It took me over a century to acquire all of this. I started collecting art when I was still human, and I never stopped."

"A _century_? How old _are_ you?" I blurted out, then covered my mouth in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me."

Drew's smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "Nonsense. I'm one hundred-and-thirty-three years old. I was turned in 1904, when I was just twenty-six."

I smirked at him. "You certainly look much younger than your age." Being a vampire definitely had its advantages, I decided. It might be shallow and superficial, but I liked the idea of both of us being—literally-forever young.

My response seemed to please him. "Thank you, my dear."

"I bet you fell for some pretty girl with fangs, right?" I remarked, only half teasing.

Drew's face clouded over with unhappiness. "Her name was Tiffany—and, yes, she _was_ beautiful, but she couldn't hold a candle to you."

"That's very kind of you to say." I wondered if I was blushing, or if I could even blush in the first place. Weren't vampires supposed to be dead, technically speaking? I noticed that Drew used the term "was" again, but bringing up his creator seemed to upset him, so I chose not to pursue the subject further. I decided that Tiffany must have done something to hurt Drew terribly, and I secretly hated her for causing such a sweet, caring man pain.

"It's the truth."

I spent a few more minutes quietly examining the artwork before realizing there was something I needed to say.

"Drew?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for helping me figure out who I am." I didn't know if mere words were enough to express just how grateful I was to Drew, but I was certain that he would appreciate the effort. "I know I probably don't act like 'your' Katie anymore, but-

"You'll _always_ be _my_ Katie," he interrupted me with a reassuring smile.


	5. Starting Over

I want to thank xj0j0x, Lay-Cool Lover, Ainat, and ElizaMassani for your wonderfully inspiring reviews. Enjoy!

* * *

_This is all a dream, _I told myself as I sorted through the wardrobe filled with black and various jewel tones. _I'm going to wake up at any second..._Having amnesia was surreal enough, but learning that I was a vampire—a myth come to life—with an incredibly sexy boyfriend who also happened to be a vampire really made my head spin.

"You seem restless," Drew observed from the doorway. I wasn't shocked by his appearance because I had overheard his light, quick footsteps approaching long before he said anything.

"I'm afraid, actually," I confessed.

He frowned slightly. "Afraid?"

I told him exactly what I'd been thinking before he showed up, and he responded with a smirk.

"If it makes you feel any better, I assure you that you're wide awake and I'm still here."

"There's something else on my mind..." I turned away from him and ran my fingers along the soft contours of a fancy royal blue gown, convinced the sight of his lovely face would only bring me more misery. "Unless I get my memory back, there's a chance I might not be able to love you the way a girlfriend should." Irrational though it might be, I already felt guilty for thinking of Drew as just a friend at the moment, but he was practically a stranger to me.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Katie." Drew's tone was firm but gentle, as were his words. "We'll cross that bridge _if_, and _only if_, we come to it. All right?"

"All right," I agreed, facing him again with a smile. _The chemistry isn't there right now, but the potential is,_ I decided. Drew was both an intelligent, cultured gentleman and easy on the eyes. I could see myself falling in love with him—again-over time.

"That's my girl. Shall we go outside? I wanted to show you a few vampire tricks."

I nodded, more than a little intrigued. Tricks?

"Just a second." I suddenly remembered that it was winter and began pushing aside clothes in search of a coat, but Drew stopped me with a light touch on the forearm.

"Vampires aren't affected by the weather," he informed me, "so you don't need a coat—or even shoes. Besides, we're just going to the garden. It's a different story in public."

"Right. Don't want to make the locals suspicious, do we?"

Drew's "garden," as he so modestly described it, was actually a spacious piece of land that included a swimming pool, trees, and room to roam. The ground was dusted with snow that practically glittered underneath the eerie light coming from the silvery gray clouds.

"Wow," I gasped, so mesmerized by the sight that I was unable to think of a more intelligent reply. I felt the snow crunch beneath my feet as I stepped off the porch, but it was a comfortable sensation as opposed to the freezing slush I would have anticipated. Very strange indeed!

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Drew agreed.

"Stunning." I had quickly discovered, and was continuing to discover, that the advantages of being a vampire outweighed the disadvantages. I heard a swishing noise, as if the wind had suddenly rustled some leaves, but then I glanced to my left to say something to Drew and he was gone. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I whirled around to see my boyfriend standing behind me with a grin on his face.

"Boo," he said cheerfully.

"_Not_ funny!" I tried to be stern but failed. Drew did his best to look innocent, and I realized that I just couldn't stay mad at a face like his.

"You can't move _quite _as fast, but only because you're so young," he explained. "The older a vampire gets, the more powerful he—or she—becomes." I noticed that he lowered his voice starting with the word "vampire," but I could still hear him clearly. "Go on, try it for yourself."

I did. I raced around the yard, zipping from one corner to the next and around the swimming pool so quickly that I was shocked my feet even touched the ground. Not once did I slip or slide in the snow, either. I almost felt like I was flying. My grin rivaled Drew's when I came to an abrupt stop in front of him. He didn't even seem to notice that I had splattered his jeans with ice crystals.

"So, what else can we do?"

"Listen. Breathe in. Look around you."

I did. Engaging all my senses at once was quite a head rush. I could discern even the faintest of noises with ease and inhaled the distinctive scents of the earth and its various living, breathing residents. My vision, which had been a nuisance in the presence of artificial lighting, continued to astound me with its clarity. Talk about sensory overload...

"Did I mention that we can also hypnotize humans with our eyes?"

My jaw dropped slightly as I stared at him. "Is there anything we _can't _do?"

Drew shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual: Go out in the sun, eat, drink...After awhile, you don't even miss those things."

"You never told me whether I drink human blood or animal blood." I imitated his low tone, then crouched down in the snow, my back to Drew, and scooped up a handful of snow. As I sifted the crystals between my fingers, I got an idea and felt a wicked smirk form on my face.

"Both. But, like most of us, you prefer"-He reached out and effortlessly caught the snowball before it came within a foot of him-"human blood." Drew tossed the snowball aside and gave me a smirk of his own. "You, my dear, are lucky that my mum raised me to be a gentleman."

"You're just afraid of losing a snowball fight to a woman," I teased, trying to distract myself from the moral dilemmas raised by my diet.

"Don't be ridiculous," Drew scoffed, but his eyes twinkled. "I simply refuse to risk hurting you or messing up that beautiful face of yours."

_Beautiful._ I loved how that word sounded in his thick Scottish accent.

"Drew, I..." An awkward minute of silence passed before I could collect my thoughts. "That's kind of you to say."

"God, I'm sorry, Katie." Drew averted his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't be flirting with you when you can't even remember me."

"I don't mind. Really." I smiled at him, relieved when he glanced in my direction. "Every woman appreciates compliments."

"Well, there are plenty more where that came from."

"I'm glad to hear it." Again, I felt like the luckiest woman on earth. True, I had many losses to grieve—my family, my memories, the simple human pleasures I'd never again experience—but I had also been blessed with eternal life, many talents, a gorgeous home, and the love of a wonderful man.

I leaned against Drew as we watched the snow start to fall, and he carefully slipped an arm around my shoulder. It felt...nice—_comfortable_. We stayed in that position for a long time.

Drew suddenly cleared his throat. "We're going to get buried in snow if we don't go inside soon," he observed, rolling his vivid blue eyes up to the sky. The few flakes that swirled around us just minutes ago had multiplied considerably.

"I think you're right." It was, I thought ruefully, the perfect weather for drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows, but I craved something else entirely.

My boyfriend seemed to sense my discomfort, because, after ushering me through the back door, he promptly retrieved a plastic blood bag from the refrigerator. I peered around his shoulder and was relieved to see that he was stocked up on blood.

I waited rather impatiently while he heated the blood in the microwave. The scent made my mouth water and caused my stomach to twist into a knot of anticipation.

"Let me know if you want more. You haven't eaten in several days, so you're bound to be hungry for awhile."

"_Hungry" is an understatement..._

Drew divided the blood equally into two wine glasses and handed one to me. I forced myself to show restraint and sipped delicately at my drink, although I would have been content to rip the package open with my teeth and gulp down cold blood.

"Am I right to assume we don't have any human friends?"

"No, we don't. Human-vampire relationships usually result in the human becoming either dinner or a vampire. The only friends we have are of the supernatural persuasion."

"Oh, dear. They must be terribly worried about me." It was interesting to note that Drew hadn't referred to our friends as vampires. Maybe they were ghosts or werewolves.

"I've informed them about your...illness and told them you need some time to recover before you receive visitors. I hope you don't mind, but I thought it was in your best interest."

"You're probably right," I concluded with a sigh, unable to hide the disappointment I felt. I had hoped that my friends could help me unlock my memories, but I supposed too many new names and faces at once would only overwhelm me.

Drew gave me a sympathetic look. "I know you're frustrated, Katie, and I don't blame you, but soon you'll feel like your old self again."

"I hope so." Time would tell...

We'd emptied our wine glasses already, and he promptly refilled them. "I'd like to propose a toast."

"A toast?" I frowned. "What's the occasion?"

"You have a bright future to look forward to, and that's worth celebrating, don't you think?" I nodded, beaming. Drew returned my glass to me and raised his with a smirk. "To the future."

"To the future," I agreed, clinking my glass against his.

* * *

Drew and I then retreated to the living room, where the hours passed quickly as he answered my questions about various subjects. He told me fascinating tales about life in both his native Scotland and his adopted homeland of England—where his family moved when he was fifteen—during a time when technology was in its infancy and everyone used horse-drawn carriages for transportation. He also shared anecdotes from his adventures in other countries around the world.

Much to my dismay, I started to yawn and my eyelids drooped as the wall clock indicated that morning was approaching.

"You think I'd be wide awake after being unconscious for three days," I muttered in annoyance. I wondered how Drew could be so alert when I was ready to crash. Vampires were supposed to sleep during the day, right? It should be his bedtime, too.

"Yesterday took a lot out of you emotionally," Drew reminded me, and I nodded in agreement.

"You're right about that. I'm going to get ready for bed." I trotted upstairs and washed the makeup off my face—which took longer than I thought it would, but there _was_ a lot—then brushed my teeth. I assumed the blue toothbrush was Drew's and grabbed the purple one.

Funny. I didn't think vampires needed to worry about dental hygiene, but I guess bits of dried blood could get stuck in between our teeth, and that wouldn't be very attractive...

I hadn't come across any pajamas or sleepwear in the closet earlier, so I checked out the dresser. The top drawer contained Drew's belongings, but the one underneath was filled with feminine-looking materials. The first thing I pulled out was a lacy red-and-black number, and I soon realized that the remaining black, white, and red pieces were equally sexy. Mortified, I closed the drawer in a hurry and decided to sleep in what I was already wearing. It was _way_ too soon for Drew to see me in anything that even vaguely resembled lingerie.

I returned downstairs and found Drew in his armchair, paging through a book. One of his large hands had blotted out most of the cover, but it appeared to be made of leather and a bit tattered—perhaps an original edition of some classic. He smiled at me and set the book aside, but his expression became puzzled when I flopped down on the sofa.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, we obviously can't share a bed, and I'm sure sleeping on the sofa would be uncomfortable for you, so..." I shrugged and imagined just how uncomfortable—not to mention exhausted-Drew would feel after a whole day of trying to contort his tall body to fit a sofa of average length.

"A vampire my age doesn't _need_ sleep, Katie, but you're still young and it will be awhile before you can go without. I _insist_ that you take the bed."

If I kept learning new information at this rate, there would be no room to store my old memories when—or if—they returned.

"Would you still offer me the bed if you had to sleep?" I wondered, although I had a pretty good idea of what his response would be.

"Absolutely," he answered without hesitation. No surprise there. "It's the right thing to do."

"Always the perfect gentleman." I was so touched by Drew's generosity that I impulsively stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. He looked as thrilled as if he'd just won the lottery. "Goodnight, Drew."

"Goodnight, Katie." I couldn't help but feel flattered by the affection in his voice and written all over his face. "Sweet dreams."


	6. First Date

Thank you, xj0j0x, ElizaMassani, Lay-Cool Lover, and Ainat for reviewing the last chapter. I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I had a really bad case of writer's block. Please read and review!

* * *

"_Can I look now?" Angelina tried to swivel around on the stool, but I quickly turned her around again before she could peek._

"_I'm not finished yet. Close your eyes."_

_Angelina huffed out an impatient sigh but followed my instructions. I smiled as I did her eyeliner and brushed on a dark gray shadow._

"_Look up."_

_Those gorgeous blue eyes opened and became fixed on the ceiling. I finished Angelina's makeover by lining the inner rim of her eyelids with black pencil and applying mascara to both her top and bottom lashes. Her lips and nails were already tinted a deep red and she was wearing one of my sleeveless black dresses._

"_Now you can admire yourself." _

_I stood behind Angelina and beamed with pride as she examined her reflection in the mirror._

"_Wow. Oh, wow. I look so totally hot as a goth!" Angelina squealed. She spun around and flung her arms round me. "Thank you, Katie! I love it."_

"_It's a good look on you," I agreed, returning the hug. Her tanned skin and purple-streaked platinum locks added a unique twist to her new style._

_She stepped back and put her hands on her hips. Her narrowed eyes twinkled and a smirk appeared on her face._

_Uh-oh. That expression meant trouble.._

"_Now it's _your _turn," she declared with a grin. "I'm going to give you a makeover, Angelina-style."_

"_I'll never forgive you for this," I teased. Images of blue eyeshadow and bubble gum pink danced in my head._

_Angelina laughed. "You know you can't stay mad at such a pretty face." She tapped a finger playfully against her cheek._

_I smiled. "That's true." I sometimes wondered how we got on so well when we were complete opposites in many ways._

"_Now go change into one of my outfits." _

"_Anything?" Angelina had gone on a clothes shopping binge the other day, and I recalled seeing some dark-colored clothing mixed in with all the bright and pastel colors she'd purchased. _

_She wrinkled her nose. "As long as it isn't black or dark."_

_I laughed. "You know me too well." I glanced over my shoulder as I started to leave the bathroom, and, sure enough, I saw Angelina break out the pink lipstick and a container of blue eyeshadow..._

Angelina was gone.

I blinked a few times and rose into a sitting position. I soon realized that I had woken up in the master bedroom of the home I shared with my boyfriend, Drew Galloway. I got to my feet and hurried across the room, anxious to tell Drew about my dream. Surely, he would remember Angelina!

I all but flew down the stairs and found Drew in the living room. He had been stretched out across the sofa, his legs danging over the edge and the remote control in hand, but he was up the second I blazed into the room. He set the remote on the coffee table without turning on the television and appeared in front of me, his expression reflecting equal parts pleasure and confusion.

"_Somebody's_ in a good mood," he mused.

"I'm starting to remember!" I cried, grabbing his hands and grinning.

"What?" Drew looked and sounded about as startled as I felt.

"I dreamed about a woman named Angelina. Was-_is-_-she a friend of mine?"

"Angelina?" Drew let go of my hands, his expression revealing that he was deep in thought. "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name..."

"Maybe I met her before I met you-when I was still human," I pointed out. My enthusiasm refused to be dampened. "She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and I think she might be American."

Drew went silent for a long time, and, when he did speak again, he looked pained. I tried to brace myself for whatever bad news he was about to spring on me.

"Well...If you two _were_ friends, you must have had a falling out. You chose to distance yourself from your human friends after becoming a vampire, but you spoke of them fondly, and I never once heard you mention an Angelina. I don't know anyone who matches that description, either."

"Oh." I sighed heavily and turned away so he wouldn't see my eyes fill with tears.

"I'm sorry, Katie." Drew embraced me and gently patted my back. I buried my face in his chest and took a deep, shaky breath. I was desperate to reconnect with someone from my past—and devastated to realize that the first possible memory to return might not have any significance. For all I knew, the mysterious Angelina was about as real as a character in a movie or television series.

"I guess I shouldn't get my hopes up," I mumbled.

"You know what you need?" I shook my head, bewildered, and glanced up at Drew. "You, my dear, need to have some fun."

"What did you have in mind, Mr. Galloway?" I hadn't expected him to change the subject so abruptly, but I knew Drew only wanted to make me happy again, so I didn't think much of it.

"I was thinking we could go on a date—if you're interested. Nothing too fancy...Just dinner, dancing, and a movie. Of course, if you'd rather do something else-"

"No." I smiled, and I could feel my disappointment begin to melt away. "A date sounds lovely. What should I wear?"

"There's a blue gown, matching shoes, and white gloves in your wardrobe. I always thought you looked quite dashing in that outfit."

I excused myself and returned upstairs. I remembered brushing my fingers against the velvety royal blue fabric of the gown yesterday, so it was easy to find, and I soon came across the gloves and three-inch blue heels. I dressed, leaving the shoes and gloves in the bedroom, then wandered into the bathroom to do my hair and makeup. There was no point in dressing up unless I added the finishing touches.

After rummaging through my supplies, I decided on a simple, yet classy, look: Red lipstick, mascara, and black liner on the top lids only for a "cat eye" effect. I then swept my hair into an updo, leaving a few tendrils loose to frame my face, and returned to the bedroom to put on my shoes and the white, elbow-length gloves. I hunted around for a jewelry box or some pieces lying around, but I had to do without because I couldn't find anything to accompany my outfit.

I paused in front of the mirror for a few seconds to admire my work. _This_ woman was a stranger to me, too.

Drew was waiting for me at the bottom of the staircase, and I gasped when I first saw him. He was, if possible, even _more_ handsome than before in a tuxedo and with his hair neatly contained in a ponytail. I walked cautiously down the stairs so I wouldn't risk tripping in my heels.

"You look beautiful," he murmured.

"So do you. I mean, you look handsome," I corrected myself, embarrassed and suddenly a bit shy. The air was perfumed with smoke and wax—candles.

He grinned, and I'd be lying if I said that his grin didn't make me go weak in the knees.

"Thank you...After you, my dear," he insisted, and escorted me into the kitchen.

The kitchen table was covered with a white tablecloth and a lit candelabra made out of gold. Two wine glasses, each filled halfway with blood, awaited us. Drew pulled my chair out for me and made sure I was comfortable before he took a seat.

I tasted the blood and was delighted to realize it had been heated to the perfect temperature—just hot enough to enhance the flavor and retain warmth for awhile.

"You think of everything, don't you?" I remarked.

"Nothing is too good for my Katie."

The way he said the last two words filled me with joy. Coming from anyone else, those words might have implied I was a possession, like a car or one of the paintings on the wall, but I knew that Drew simply meant he was proud to call me his girlfriend.

"I was thinking that we could go through your books, music, and films tomorrow. It might help you remember something."

I nodded, but I was feeling somewhat pessimistic. "I'd like that. I don't suppose we have similar tastes." It was hard to picture someone as refined as Drew—even if he _was_ a vampire-sitting down to watch the kind of gory horror movies that I apparently enjoyed.

He shrugged. "You're more open-minded than me, I'm afraid. I'm a fan of the classics myself, though I'm sure you already guessed that. I grew up in a very different time, Katie. I embraced technology because I had to, but modern entertainment..."

"Isn't your cup of tea?" I finished.

"Exactly." Drew grinned again and took a sip from his glass. We drank in silence for a minute or two until he took charge of the conversation. I was glad, really, because I wasn't sure what to say next. "Before you fell ill, we had discussed visiting some new countries and maybe even moving somewhere else for awhile. I know you're not ready for that yet, but I hope you'll change your mind in the future."

"Which countries?" I was eager to discover the rest of the world, although I was content to explore England for now. I hadn't even been outside the garden since coming out of my coma.

"If I remember correctly, you said anywhere, as long you hadn't been there before. That eliminates most of Europe and North America."

A wistful feeling washed over me as I sipped at my own drink. "I wish I could remember traveling to those places."

"You will, love—and we'll return someday if you like."

"It's just too bad that we'll only be able to go sightseeing at night," I sighed. "It would be nice to see what everything looks like in the daytime."

He nodded. "True, but we can still take in art museums, operas, the theater...We have an eternity of grand adventures ahead of us."

"An eternity..." I murmured, shaking my head. "I simply can't imagine it. How _does_ one become a vampire, anyway?" I couldn't believe I hadn't asked him that yet.

"One has to die with vampire blood in their system, then feed on human blood within hours of awakening," Drew said quietly, his eyes downcast.

"Oh." I remembered Drew saying that I wanted to become a vampire so we could be together forever-which meant that I was on a date with the man who killed me. Talk about an awkward moment."So...Do you miss Scotland, Drew?" I asked quickly, hoping to dissolve the uncomfortable tension that was building between us.

He shrugged, visibly relieved that I had changed the subject. "Sometimes. I'm sure it's changed a lot since I was last there—which was years ago, by the way."

"Let's make that the first country we visit," I suggested, and Drew cheerfully agreed.

When we finished the blood, it was time to move on to the next phase of our date: Dancing.

"I hope you know how to dance, because I sure don't." I kept my tone light and a smile on my face so Drew would realize I wasn't _too_ upset. Of course it hurt that I couldn't remember how to do something I had been passionate about, but the situation was far from hopeless.

"Luckily for you, I learned both ballroom dancing and the waltz as a lad—two of your specialties. Don't worry: I'll teach you everything you need to know."

He moved the furniture in the living room aside as easily as if he were moving a child's toy blocks and rolled up the floor rug. Drew then put on some lovely classical music before we got started.

"Believe it or not, this music is actually older than I am," he explained, causing me to giggle.

I shivered as he took me in his arms and held me close, telling me when and how to move in time to the music. Unfortunately, his expert guidance couldn't prevent me from stepping on his toes—repeatedly.

"Sorry!" I blurted out after the second incident. "I really should watch where I'm going."

"I didn't feel a thing," Drew assured me with a smirk.

"So you won't mind if I step on your feet a few more times?" I teased.

He shrugged. "I'll survive."

We resumed dancing. It would have been nice to rely on muscle memory, but, since I couldn't do that, I just followed Drew's instructions to the best of my ability.

"You're a natural," he remarked after we had been practicing from some time. "It's coming back to you already."

"You think?" I asked hopefully. To be honest, though, I _had_ noticed that I was starting to improve and move with the grace one would expect from a dancer. It thrilled me to no end.

"I would never lie to you, Katie." A strange intensity was burned into every word of his sentence.

"I believe you," I whispered, and allowed myself to get lost in those beautiful blue eyes of his. I saw the love he felt for me within them, along with a hint of some wilder, barely-restrained emotion—lust, perhaps. I was excited and a little scared by that slight trace of danger.

At times, we were almost _too_ close for comfort, but I told myself that was just how these styles were danced. Besides, Drew was a gentleman, and I trusted him not to take advantage of me. Nonetheless, I was somewhat relieved when the music stopped and Drew selected _Casablanca_ from his—well, probably _our_-movie collection.

"You can't go wrong with the classics," he insisted with a smirk.

As we watched, it occurred to me that Drew had been around during World War II, and that he would also remember a time before films, even silent films, existed. I wondered what changes _I_ would see in the world after surviving a century.

Drew distracted me from the movie when he rested his hand on my thigh just above the knee. I made no effort to move his hand nor speak up because it seemed like an innocent little gesture he'd probably done hundreds of times before I lost my memory. I felt sorry for him, to be honest. It must be awful to realize that the woman you loved couldn't remember ever loving you.

_Besides, _I reasoned, _it's not like he asked me to go to bed with him or something. _As I stole a sidelong glance at my boyfriend, I decided I wasn't opposed to the idea at all—but I was going to wait until my feelings for him returned.

My attention gradually drifted back to Casablanca and I forgot about Drew Galloway for awhile...

"I guess this means our date has come to an end," Drew sighed as the end credits began to roll. He stood up and stretched those long limbs of his, then helped me to my feet.

"What a shame. I was having such a good time, too."

He smirked. "You know...It's kind of a tradition for the first date to end with a kiss—assuming both parties enjoyed themselves."

"Maybe every date should end with a kiss." Part of me immediately regretted flirting with Drew, but another part of me was having fun.

"That sounds good to me." He tilted my chin upward with one finger, leaned down, and planted an expert kiss on my lips.

I was happy to reciprocate. He was a damned good kisser.


	7. Secrets Unfold

Thank you xj0j0x, ElizaMassani, General Herbison, Thatpersonthatreads, Lay-Cool Lover, and Ainat for reviewing the last chapter and for waiting out yet another episode of writer's block. I hope this chapter was worth it!

Also, I used lyrics from Winter's theme song, "Hands of the Wicked," in the chapter title.

* * *

"_Paul? Do you believe in ghosts?"_

_He frowned. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it." Paul eyed the book in my hand—one of those true ghost story compilations-and smirked. "I suppose _you _do."_

_I nodded as I recalled the first ghost I'd ever seen. I was only five years old when I saw my grandfather's spirit at his funeral. To this day, I still wasn't sure which one of us had been more astonished._

"_What about...magic? Do you believe in magic?" I asked softly._

_Paul raised his eyebrows and sat next to me on the bed. "As in...witchcraft?" I nodded, and the poor guy looked bewildered. "Katie, why are you asking me all these questions?"_

"_Because I have a confession to make—but first, I want you to promise me that you'll keep my secret." I knew I was taking a great risk by telling Paul the truth, but I trusted him, and I felt like I was deceiving both of us every time I pretended to be an ordinary human being._

"_You can trust me, Katie. You know that." Paul's expression was calm yet intrigued, but I could tell he was rattled underneath by the way his muscles tensed-and I hadn't even confessed yet. That wasn't a good sign..._

"_Okay, here goes..." I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm a witch."_

_My brother just stared at me. I watched the emotions flicker across his face: Shock, alarm, confusion._

"_You mean a pagan?" he asked uncertainly._

"_No, a witch—like the ones in fairy tales."_

"_Okay," he said flatly after what felt like hours. I certainly felt as if I'd been holding my breath for hours, and it was a relief to let it out._

"_You don't believe me." Not that I blamed him in the slightest. Paul was a typical English teenage boy in many aspects: His uniform consisted of jeans and T-shirts and he liked sports and dogs. There was simply no room for something as outrageous as magic in his normal little world. "Here, let me prove it to you. How would you like a parrot?" I ask with a grin._

_Paul continued to stare at me. "A parrot?" I might as well have told him there was a purple unicorn prancing around the front yard._

_I shrugged and gathered a white candle and a book of matches off my nightstand. "Well, since you're related to the notorious Blackbeard, that makes you a pirate, too—and pirates and parrots go together like peanut butter and jelly." _

"_Or witches and pointy black hats," Paul suggested, but he looked uneasy._

_I stuck my tongue out at him. "Touche." I motioned for Paul to sit across from me on the floor, lit the candles, and began to recite the spell in German. It was my preferred language for doing spells simply because I thought the words sounded more mysterious than they did in English._

_As I cupped my hands over the fire, the flames began to rise and merged with the smoke to gradually take the shape of an Amazon parrot. I heard Paul gasp, followed by a murmured "Oh, my God" as the bird was tinted with rich shades of green and yellow. The candle went out once the bird was completely filled in and had perched securely on the top of my hand. _

_Paul quickly backed away as the parrot stretched its neck in his direction and let out an earsplitting squawk. My brother was trembling and ashen, and his eyes were so wide that I worried they might pop out of their sockets at any second._

"_So, do you believe me now?" I asked cheerfully, even though my heart hammered with dread. Paul had accepted all of my eccentricities without judgment, but his views on my personal style and tastes weren't nearly as important as his support now. I would be absolutely _devastated_ if he shunned me now that he knew what I really was._

_He swallowed hard. His eyes remained wide, but he nodded and a smirk slowly crept across his face._

"_Yeah. I believe you. Just don't turn _me_ into a bird, okay?" _

My cheeks were soaked with tears by the time I opened my eyes.

"Tissue?"

I was surprised to see Drew, but not nearly as shocked as I would have been if I were human. My keen senses had become attuned to the faintest evidence of his presence. I wasn't, however, expecting him to be waiting in the doorway with a box of tissues in hand.

"That is so sweet—and a little creepy," I added teasingly, sitting up and stretching to meet him halfway. "Thank you."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just heard you crying and I thought..." He trailed off and scratched the back of his neck, looking around for somewhere else to rest his gaze. Eventually, his eyes wandered back to my face. "Did you have a nightmare?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly. I..." I slowly inhaled and exhaled, then tried again. "I had a dream about one of my brothers. Paul?" I looked to Drew for confirmation, and, when he nodded, I was overcome by a flood of bittersweet relief. "It's wonderful to remember him, of course, but..."

"But it's not the same as seeing him in the flesh or having a photograph," Drew supplied.

"Right," I sniffled and dabbed at my eyes with the tissue, then mopped off the rest of my face. "I'll come downstairs in a little while. I just need to be alone with my thoughts right now."

"I understand. Take all the time you need."

I slumped back against the pillow with a sigh and listened to Drew's footsteps as he descended the staircase, then I forced myself to choose an outfit and slip into the shower. The beads of hot water pounding against my skin calmed my nerves but couldn't keep my thoughts from running wild.

There were a lot of things I didn't understand about my latest dream—things that just didn't add up.

For example, my ability to do magic. Assuming I really _was_ a witch, I couldn't understand why Drew hadn't told me the truth. Surely, he would have known from the moment we first met that there was something _supernatural_ about me...Of course, the most likely scenario was that this dream—like most dreams—blended fiction and reality.

Then there was my reference to Blackbeard as _Paul's_ ancestor—not ours. If it was true, it meant that Paul and I had different parents, or at least one different parent. Again, I expected Drew to know the answer, and I wondered why he hadn't gone into more detail about Paul and the rest of my immediate family...

_You probably don't talk about them very much, _I argued with myself as I stepped out of the shower and toweled off. _It must be a painful subject to dwell on, so you chose not to. _

It was easier to believe I'd rather not discuss my family than to convince myself that my loving, devoted boyfriend was a compulsive liar.

I pushed all those disturbing thoughts and questions to the back of my mind and quickly dressed, styled my hair into loose waves, and applied a small amount of makeup. I didn't want to keep Drew waiting.

He let out a low, appreciative whistle as I marched down the staircase.

"Are you feeling better? Because you look...ravishing."

"Much better, thank you." I thought his reaction a bit odd since I wasn't dressed up in the slightest, but Drew clearly worshiped the ground I walked on. The guilt hit me at the same time the hunger did, and I had to grasp the banister at the foot of the stairs to maintain my balance.

"Wait here," Drew ordered, after he had led me over to the piano bench and helped me into a sitting position. He was gone before I could blink.

I listened with a heavy heart as he busied himself in the kitchen with preparing a glass of warm blood. I felt like a total bitch for even _suspecting_ that Drew would ever lie to me. He had done nothing but show me kindness and patience, and, although I'm sure he desperately wanted to, he hadn't once touched me in an intimate manner... The _least_ I could do in return was put my trust in him.

Drew returned and watched me like a hawk until I emptied the wineglass. He was probably terrified that I'd slip into another coma or something if I didn't completely satisfy my hunger.

"I can get you another if you'd like," he offered somewhat anxiously. I started to turn him down in spite of my body's protests, but Drew would have none of it. "It's no trouble at all. Really."

Again, I drank while he watched. The second glass did the trick, although it was incapable of curing my guilty conscience.

"Thank you." Drew had just placed my glass on the coffee table and opened his mouth when I gestured to the piano in an attempt to direct his attention to a new subject. "I noticed this last night while we were dancing. Do you play, or is it just for decoration?"

Drew smiled and ducked his head. "I know a few songs, but I'm not very good." He came over and sat next to me. "I'm afraid I disappointed my parents."

"How so?"

"They had dreams that I would become the next Mozart, but my gifts were drawing and painting."

Ouch. Talk about high expectations. I wondered if Drew's parents had ever gotten over their disappointment and realized that their son's artistic talents were equally creative and brilliant.

"Then...Why do you have the piano?"

"I bought it for you. You're quite good at it. It was such a joy to watch your fingers fly across those ivories..." He trailed off and pressed one fingertip to a dusty key, then glanced at me. "I remember enough to play a few simple tunes. I'll teach you if you're interested."

"All right—but I want to see your artwork when we're done."

"Deal."

I waited while Drew sorted through his sheet music until he found something he liked.

Learning something new was difficult enough without the added distraction of Drew being so close to me. I couldn't help but think about how soft those lips felt when they brushed against mine, and how much passion he had put into that kiss...

_Focus, Katie. Focus, _I scolded myself, and I reluctantly turned my attention back to the piano.

"Is something wrong? You seem distracted."

"I-I guess I'm feeling a little overwhelmed," I lied. "There's a lot to learn."

"You'll get better with practice," Drew reassured me. "It's not much different from dancing in that respect."

That sounded encouraging. "Do I know any other instruments?"

"Yes, the recorder."

I frowned as a glimmer of recognition flitted across my mind. "Isn't that an instrument most schoolchildren learn?"

Drew laughed. "Well, yes, but you play it with more skill than most."

"Were my parents musical?" I was eager for even the smallest crumb of information about my family. Dreaming about Paul had given me hope that the rest of my family members would also visit me in my sleep, but there were no guarantees—and I was sick of waiting.

He nodded. "Your father was an opera singer and your mother was a ballerina."

"No wonder I turned out the way I did," I said in awe. I must have been surrounded by classical music growing up, which explained why listening to that genre and dancing ballroom-style and the waltz brought me so much joy. My interest in the supernatural must have developed later on in life—perhaps as a form of teenage rebellion.

"You turned out beautifully, Katie," Drew murmured in a tone that was soft even by vampire standards. He suddenly cleared his throat. "Let's take a break. I'd like to play something for you."

His fingers brushed against the keys, tentatively at first but with growing confidence as he went on, and hauntingly beautiful music filled the air. I closed my eyes and decided that I disagreed with Drew's parents. He might not be a virtuoso, but I thought him quite talented...

"Ah, that's a lovely tune," remarked a male voice with a thick Irish brogue. "Beethoven?"

Drew groaned and stopped playing at once. My reaction was far more volatile. I shrieked and jumped to my feet, then whirled around to face the stranger. He appeared about as astonished as I felt.

"_Katie_?"

Our visitor was at least as tall as Drew, but his spiky orange-red hair made him appear even taller, and he had exceptionally pale, freckled skin. Although he was dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, the colors were muted and I could see right through him—almost as if he had been painted in watercolor. His startled, pale blue eyes landed on me.

"What are you doing here?" he inquired. I suppose I should have been terrified, but, once I got over my initial panic attack, he seemed friendly enough.

"I-I live here," I mumbled. "Who are you? Are you a...ghost?" That was the only explanation I could come up with for the translucent quality he possessed. There were also some nasty-looking cuts and bruises on his forehead and cheek that had me wondering if he'd died of a head injury. It seemed rude to ask, though, so I didn't.

He chuckled. "I know it's been a few years, Katie, but don't tell me you've forgotten me already."

"Katie has amnesia," Drew said sternly, swiveling around on the piano bench to face the other man. A note of irritation had crept into his voice. "I'm afraid she doesn't remember much at all."

The redhead's joyful expression immediately dissolved. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that." His sympathetic tone was tinged with guilt—for teasing me, I assumed. "Me name's Stephen and I'm an old friend, but not quite as old as this fella here"—Drew rolled his eyes at that—"and, yes, I'm a ghost." Another chuckle escaped from Stephen's lips, but he cast a shrewd, questioning glance in Drew's direction. "I suppose Drew here has been looking out for you?"

I nodded. "Yes, he has. He's been wonderful." Smiling, I reached over and squeezed Drew's hand—a gesture that did not escape Stephen's notice, judging by the way his eyebrows arched.

"I see. Well, I suppose that's a good thing, because you'll need someone to protect you if Stu ever gets out. I visited him recently and he was an angry fella."

A chill ran down my spine. That sounded ominous. "Get out" from where—prison? And what did this Stu have against me?

"Who's Stu?" I asked my boyfriend, but he didn't respond. His face seemed to have frozen in a mask of fear, or shock, or some combination of the two.

Stephen blinked a few times. "You mean he didn't tell you?"

"I-I forgot." Drew shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet, his features reflecting embarrassment. "What with Katie's amnesia and all..."

"Who's Stu?" I asked again and more forcefully. I glanced at Drew first, then Stephen, while I waited for _someone_ to answer my question.

"Your ex-boyfriend," Drew said quietly.

"Your ex-boyfriend whom you trapped inside his house with magic," Stephen elaborated. A bemused expression crossed his face. "Can't say I blame you, though. He could be a real horse's arse sometimes."

"Magic?" I eyed Drew curiously, thinking about my latest dream. I knew he could feel me burning holes through him with my gaze, because he didn't dare look in my direction. His own eyes were locked on the ghost.

"Good Lord, fella! You've kept this poor girl in the dark, haven't you?" Stephen made a disapproving sound and shook his head. "Does she even know she's a vampire?"

"I figured that out pretty quickly," I said dryly, turning my attention back to him. I made a mental note to have a long conversation with Drew as soon as Stephen left.

Stephen was visibly embarrassed. "Uh...I'd best be off. I just wanted to check on you, Drew...Nice seeing you again, Katie." The ghost started to fade out, and soon he completely melted into oblivion.

"Don't be angry with me, Katie," Drew pleaded, and he was finally brave enough to meet my eyes. "I was only trying to protect you..."

"I'm not angry—yet. I'm just...confused." I honestly believed that Drew would never do anything to deliberately hurt me, but keeping these secrets—regardless of his motives—had nonetheless caused me pain. "Why didn't you tell me I'm a witch? And why didn't you tell me about Stu, or-"

Drew clasped my hands in his and squeezed hard. "Just give me a chance to explain and _I promise you_ I will answer _any_ questions you might have. _Please_." Those blue irises were brimming with such desperation that I was unable to resist giving in.

"Fine," I huffed, backing away and folding my arms across my chest. Drew was lucky that I couldn't remember how to cast a spell, because, if I could, I might have done something on impulse that I would regret later.


	8. Hunger

Thank you, ElizaMassani, Thatpersonthatreads, xj0j0x, Lay-Cool Lover, and Ainat for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

I had retreated to the sofa to interrogate Drew, but he was too restless to join me. Instead, he elected to pace the floor in front of me, occasionally stopping to rake his fingers through his hair, which he had immediately relieved from its ponytail.

"I'm going to ask you again: Why didn't you tell me that I'm a witch?" My voice sounded at least as cold as the temperature outdoors.

"Because you're not a witch anymore—and it's all my fault," he murmured, giving me a guilt-ridden look out of the corner of his eye. "You lost your ability to do magic after I turned you. We both knew there was a chance it could happen, but you were willing to take the risk..."

I was at a loss for words after the bombshell Drew had just dropped on me. It made perfect sense, though: One couldn't be part human and part vampire, or both a human and a ghost, so it was only natural that I should lose my witchcraft after transitioning into a vampire.

Most shocking of all, however, was the revelation that I had loved Drew enough to surrender my existing supernatural powers in order to be with him for all of time. I felt tears spring to my eyes. That was the kind of sacrifice that defined true love.

"You tried over and over again to cast spells, but nothing worked," Drew added hastily. Perhaps he had misinterpreted my silence as devastation. "I _was _going to tell you the truth eventually, but I hesitated because...Well, I was afraid you'd be heartbroken when you realized you could never do magic again. You've already suffered enough for several lifetimes, and I wanted to spare you as long as I could."

I felt even better after I mulled over his explanation. I had to keep reminding myself that Drew was from a different era—a time when women were considered vulnerable and in need of protection from men. Yes, it was a sexist way of thinking, but I knew his heart was in the right place, and so I forgave him.

"I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes," I said softly. "That's why you didn't mention Stu, isn't it?"

He nodded. "There was no point in upsetting you when you couldn't even remember him. If he ever comes near you again..." Drew's hands balled into fists and he stopped pacing. Fire seemed to blaze within his eyes as he looked past me at the nearest wall. "If he even _tries_, I swear I'll kill him. I will never let him hurt you again, Katie."

"Again?" I squeaked.

Drew sighed. "What _didn't_ he do?" The bitterness in his tone was sharp enough to cut through bone. "The bastard was physically and emotionally abusive, cheated on you, and stalked you after you broke up with him."

"Oh, my God," I whimpered. I began to shiver, and the violent trembling refused to stop even when Drew took a seat next to me and pulled me into his arms. No wonder I had used my magic against Stu. If I hadn't, I would most likely be dead somehow. And, if he ever broke the spell somehow...I glanced up at him and tilted my head curiously. "Wait...How do you know all this? Do you know him?"

He nodded again, looking more than a little uncomfortable. "I did. I met him not long after I ended things with Tiffany. I was a new vampire in need of guidance, and Stu took me under his wing." He sighed deeply and nestled his chin on top of my head. "Unfortunately, I didn't realize until later that the two of them had much in common."

"What do you mean?"

"They both took great pleasure in making their victims suffer and brutally killing them. I tried to make them see the error of their ways, but I couldn't stop them, so I chose to walk away. I thought it better to be alone in the world than to risk turning out like either of them."

"I'm so sorry, Drew. You must have been terribly lonely." Now I understood why Drew had been eager to change the subject when I inquired about Tiffany. I couldn't imagine how painful it must have been to realize someone you cared about—a lover, a friend—was a sadistic, bloodthirsty monster. Then to have it happen all over again...

He shrugged. "I was, but I eventually made some new friends who were neither human nor vampire."

"Stephen?" I wanted to find out why the ghost had gotten under Drew's skin earlier, then reconsidered. He was probably just annoyed because Stephen had intruded on our bonding.

"Yes, Stephen. Also, PJ the werewolf and a succubus named Layla." He smiled. "And _you_, of course."

I reminded myself to ask what a succubus was later. "There are still some things I don't understand—like how I didn't realize Stu was a vampire or how you knew that he abused me." I only determined that Drew had neglected to answer the latter question after he went on a tangent.

He hesitated slightly before replying. "You confided in me shortly after we started dating. You told me all about Stu—how charming he was at first, how cruel he could be, and the funny feeling you had about him from the beginning. It would have been easy for him to conceal his true identity using mind control, even on a witch. Anyway, I soon realized that your ex-boyfriend was the same vampire I'd once called a mate. I was relieved to hear that he was locked up, in a manner of speaking."

"But for how long?" I whispered. I pictured a faceless entity—something along the lines of the Grim Reaper—coming for me, stake in hand and fangs extended in rage.

"You don't have to worry about him, love," Drew reassured me with a confidence I couldn't even fake at the moment. "Your spell has kept Stu imprisoned for a long time now—and a spell can only be broken by the witch who cast it. He's not going anywhere."

"What if-"

"I meant what I said earlier, Katie. Even_ if _Stu managed to escape, he wouldn't live long enough to harm you."

I probably should have been frightened by the malevolence behind Drew's vow, but it was strangely comforting to know that he wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who threatened me.

I sagged against him in relief. "You're too good to me, Drew."

"So, am I forgiven, then?" Drew asked hopefully. It took me a second to realize he was referring to covering up certain aspects of my past.

"There's nothing to forgive," I assured him with a hug. I could feel the tension dissolve from his body immediately, like air escaping from a deflated balloon.

* * *

"_You're not going out in _that_, are you?"_

_I took a break from smoothing out the wrinkles in my "little black dress" to roll my eyes at Stu._

"_In case you haven't noticed, times have changed, Stuart," I reminded him tartly. "It's no longer scandalous for a woman to show a bit of leg."_

"_I'm not talking about the length of the bloody thing!" Stu barked. He quickly regained his composure and lowered his voice. His narrowed green eyes hovered over my bust, which had always been difficult to fully conceal in tight-fitting dresses. "I'm merely uncomfortable with you putting your...assets on display." _

_Smirking, I leaned over to slip on a high heel—giving Stu a closer look at those "assets." He groaned with obvious longing. Old-fashioned though he might be, Stu will still a man and, therefore, vulnerable to my feminine charms._

"_Other men can look all they want, but you're the _only _man who's allowed to touch," I purred in my best seductive tone as I put on my other shoe. I was having fun torturing Stu—and I didn't intend to stop until he acted on those primal instincts I had awakened within him._

_Stu gulped. His pupils had dilated until they blotted out most of his lovely green irises, making his eyes appear as black as his curly hair. A second later, he had me pinned against the wall. He bowed his massive frame so that he could speak to me._

"_You're a wicked girl, Katarina, and I think you should be punished," he growled, brushing his lips against my neck just below the ear as he spoke. He left a trail of kisses from that spot, down my throat, all the way to my collarbone. Meanwhile, his hands caressed my curves and hesitated at the hem of my dress. I couldn't help but shiver in anticipation._

"_Then punish me—_after _Layla's birthday party," I whispered back, eliciting another, even more tormented, groan from Stu, but he forced himself to step away. I wasn't completely merciless, however, so I treated him to a kiss that he responded to passionately. It was surprising that neither of us melted as a result..._

I desperately needed a long, cold shower—or maybe a soak in a bathtub filled with ice cubes.

So, this was the vengeful ex-boyfriend Stephen had warned me about. I replayed the mental video of my memory-turned-dream as I rolled out of bed. Stu seemed to be equal parts tall, dark, and handsome, old-world English gentleman, and bad boy to the extreme. It was a compelling combination that could seduce any woman to certain doom.

Because of what Stephen and Drew had told me, I was both terrified of and hated Stu—but, after that flashback, part of me burned with desire for him.

I felt dirty for even thinking about my abusive ex in that way when I had a boyfriend who could pass for a male model _and_ was eligible to receive angel wings.

I was also puzzled by my inability to remember anything when I was awake and the way my mind refused to bring up painful events. I dreaded the day when my brain finally chose to unlock _those_ memories.

Then I remembered mentioning Layla's party to Stu, and a smile spread across my face. I planned to ask Drew if he could arrange for me to meet with Layla soon. Being so isolated wasn't good for my mental health, and it would be nice to have a girlfriend to confide in, too.

The shower helped soothe my racing hormones, but I decided a change of scenery would do me a world of good. I was becoming claustrophobic after spending so much time indoors. I wanted to pay a visit to the garden—to feel the snowflakes on my skin and breathe in the frosty air.

I trotted downstairs and was mere feet from the back door when Drew appeared out of nowhere to block my path. He raised his eyebrows at me and I glanced longingly at the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" His words came out in a rush.

"I need some fresh air." _Actually, I was trying to get away from you before I went mad with lust..._I smiled apologetically as I struggled to resist the temptation to pull Drew close to me and make out with him."I think I've got a touch of cabin fever." My voice sounded funny.

"You should stay inside." I raised my eyes to his face and took notice of the worry lines suddenly etched into his forehead. Hmm. Something was _definitely_ up with him. "There's a full moon tonight."

I stared at him uncomprehendingly in response.

His expression was somber. "A werewolf bite can make a vampire very ill, Katie—and PJ might come over because this is familiar territory."

I remembered the name now, although, of course, I couldn't conjure up a face to go with it. Drew had mentioned him when he was talking about his friends. It was hard to imagine PJ attacking us, though, and I tried to tell Drew as much.

"But if he's a friend, then he wouldn't—"

"He wouldn't recognize _anyone_ until he returned to his human form." Drew's tone gentled and he stroked the side of my face with the back of his hand. Oh, how I wished he hadn't done that! "I almost lost you once, love. I can't risk it happening again."

I gulped. "I see. Well, in that case...Let's make other plans." _Preferably something that doesn't involve us sitting next to each other or touching in any way..._

He smirked. "Dinner plans?"

"That's probably a good idea," I agreed. "But what makes you think I'm hungry?"

A shrug. "Well, your eyes are telling me that you're hungry—vampires' pupils dilate and turn a bit red when they're ready to feed," he added when I gave him a bewildered look. "Unless, of course, there's another reason..."

"Another reason?" I immediately recalled Stu's darkened eyes as he pushed me against the wall in my flashback.

"Rage, excitement...lust. Any extreme emotion." He tilted his head and studied me intensely. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

I quickly shook my head. "I'm fine. Just hungry." But I wasn't fine, and I wasn't really hungry, either-at least, not for blood. I was practically drowning in a sea of conflicted emotions. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to be intimate with Drew or if I was just transferring my chemistry with Stu to him, but I was going to take things slow until I could tell the difference. I vowed not to give Drew my body until I could give him my whole heart, too.


	9. Irresistible

Thank you Thatpersonthatreads, xj0j0x, ElizaMassani, and Lay-Cool Lover for reviewing the last chapter. Again, I really appreciate your patience between updates. Please read and review. :)

* * *

"Let's go for a walk."

The idea came to me as I stared longingly out the window, my nose and palms pressed against the glass. Snow had ceased to fall after yesterday afternoon and the clouds had since parted, revealing patches of clear, dark sky. The moon had also entered its next phase, so I need not worry about werewolf attacks tonight.

Drew waited so long to respond that I debated repeating the question. I turned to see him glance up from the book he had been immersed in just moments ago.

"Why not?" he said at last. "It would do both of us good to get out of the house for awhile."

I wasted no time in racing upstairs and assembling a winter wardrobe: Long sleeves, heavy coat, gloves, boots that could help me navigate ice and slush. After several days of sleeveless tops and bare feet, I wondered how humans tolerated the inconvenience of dressing in multiple layers.

When I returned, I discovered that Drew had raided the hall closet and come up with a thick leather jacket, gloves, and boots.

_He looks good in everything—and even better in nothing, I'm sure,_ I thought somewhat wistfully.

"Ready?"

I nodded, beaming. "Ready."

We slipped into the night. To Drew's amusement, I promptly filled my lungs with a deep breath of crisp, clean air, then gazed upward. Bright, twinkling stars in various shades peeked out from between the clouds, and I could even glimpse the stars hidden behind the clouds. Every single crater was visible on the moon, too.

"I don't even need a telescope," I murmured in amazement.

Drew laughed. "If the skies were clear, I'd point out the constellations. Another time, then."

I studied him with arched eyebrows. "So, you're an astronomer, too?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? I have a _lot _of time on my hands, and I like learning new things."

"The world must have been a more productive place before television, movies, and the Internet were invented," I mused, already planning to select a few books from Drew's—no, _our_—library later and do some reading before bed.

He contemplated the idea as we walked across our property. "In a way, yes—but simple tasks were difficult without modern technology, and diseases that are practically nonexistent these days were common and often deadly..."

"How morbidly fascinating."

Drew smirked and intertwined his fingers with mine. That simple yet tender gesture made my heart sing. We looked like a normal human couple enjoying each other's company. I imagined that the only actual people outdoors tonight were either walking their dogs or dashing from heated cars to cozy buildings and vice versa.

An unexpected gust of bitter wind whipped my hair into my face and messed up Drew's once-sleek ponytail.

"Nice night for a walk, isn't it?" he teased as he tucked my hair behind my ears with his free hand.

"I could stay out here forever." No matter how much time I spent outdoors, I always found myself enchanted by everything about my surroundings.

"I'm afraid I must get you home before sunrise, Cinderella," Drew reminded me.

I grinned. "Well, it's better than midnight."

We walked in relative silence for a long time.

"We should do this more often," Drew remarked on the way home. "I love walking at night. It's so peaceful..." He trailed off and began to sniff the air. I inhaled, too, and my nose caught the scent of something unusual, just as my ears pricked up at a steady thumping noise. A heartbeat? "There's someone at the house."

"One of our friends?"

He nodded. "It's, ah, Layla."

We trotted back to the house and found a red sports car parked in the driveway.

"Thank God you're back!" a petite, olive-skinned brunette exclaimed as she stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door behind her. She briskly rubbed her gloved hands together, her breath coming out in little puffs. "I thought I was going to freeze to death waiting for you."

"How long have you been waiting?" Drew inquired.

The woman shrugged. "Not long. About ten or fifteen minutes, I guess." She turned her warm, chocolate brown eyes to me and offered a tentative smile. "Hi. I'm Layla." I took her outstretched hand and returned her smile with one of my own. "I'm sorry about the amnesia—Stephen told me, by the way. I hope your memory returns soon."

"It's starting to." This had to be the same Layla that Stu and I were going to visit on her birthday. The supernatural community in London was apparently a small and tight-knit group, although Stu seemed to have been cast out of our circle along the way.

"Hey, that's wonderful!" Layla beamed a megawatt grin that could light up all of Great Britain. I already adored her. "Let's continue this discussion inside," she added, pointedly raising her eyebrows at Drew.

"Right. Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, and immediately began to herd us in the direction of the front door.

Layla dumped her purse on the coffee table, removed her coat and scarf, revealing an elegant and somewhat formfitting purple sweater, and made herself comfortable on the sofa. I sat down next to her while Drew excused himself and retreated to the kitchen. I couldn't help but notice that he appeared uncomfortable, just as he had when Stephen dropped by, and that seemed odd to me since Drew himself had referred to both of them as mutual friends. Perhaps he still believed I wasn't well enough to receive visitors.

"I'd offer you something to drink, but..." Drew shrugged as he handed one blood-filled glass to me and settled down in an armchair with the other.

"But I don't drink what you have to offer." Layla giggled and looked at me. "We go through this every time I pay him a visit."

I wondered why she said "him" instead of referring to both of us, but I let it slide and sipped from my glass. The blood did a fine job of soothing my parched throat. Layla might not be human, but she was alive, and my vampire instincts couldn't seem to tell the difference between "alive" and "food."

Layla glanced back and forth between us just as Stephen had done. "I, uh, had no idea you two were-"

"Going for a walk?" Drew interrupted. The smile on his face was confined to his lips. "I didn't plan on it, but Katie insisted, and I let myself be persuaded. I've never been able to say no when it comes to her."

"Yes, I know," Layla answered sharply. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and glanced tentavitely at me again before focusing her attention on Drew. "Actually, I was going to ask when you and Katie got together."

"It's been a long time since we last saw you, Layla. A lot of things have changed since then," he said vaguely, drumming his fingers against the chair's right arm.

"Drew says you're a succubus, but I'm afraid I can't remember what that is," I jumped in, mystified by the rather hostile exchange between my boyfriend and my friend—and eager to change the subject.

Layla studied her fingernails, which were long and bright pink, as she spoke. "A succubus is a woman who has to feed on the life energy of humans in order to survive. We're kind of like vampires."

I nodded, although I wondered if "feed on life energy" was a polite euphemism for "kill." I decided it was best not to dwell on the subject.

"No wonder we get on so well," I replied, forcing a lighthearted tone. My remark was intended for Drew, too, and I knew I'd hit my target when his expression turned contrite. "You know, I had no idea _anything_ supernatural even _existed_ when I came out of my coma."

Layla's eyes grew wide. "No way! You mean you didn't even remember you were a _vampire_?"

I tossed my head with a grin. "Not until Drew opened a blood bag and my fangs appeared."

"Oh, wow...That must have been a _huge_ shock," Layla murmured, one hand held up to her mouth in awe.

"Believe me, it was."

"So, you still don't know what caused your amnesia?"

Drew answered before I could even open my mouth. "It's a complete mystery." He smiled at me. "We're just very grateful that Katie's memories are returning."

Layla nodded. "Me, too." She tried her best to keep the conversation flowing naturally after that, but, between Drew's sullen mood and my inability to remember anyone or anything she mentioned, it was a nearly impossible task. The poor woman was finally forced to admit defeat.

"Sorry, but I can't stay. I just...I wanted to drop by and see how Katie was doing."

"That's very kind of you."

"Hey, what are friends for, right? Ring me if there's anything you need or if you just want to talk." She reached into her purse, apparently hunting for a pen and a piece of scrap paper, but Drew stopped her with a light touch on her arm.

"I'll give her your number. I promise," he assured her.

"Oh...All right." Layla smiled at me one more time, and hesitated only briefly before throwing her arms around me. Although I didn't seem like the hugging type, I instinctively squeezed her back. "Goodbye for now, Katie. I promise I'll come back really soon, okay?"

"Please do."

"Goodbye, Drew," she added, almost as an afterthought.

Drew was instantly transformed into a gentleman again. He smiled at Layla and told her to "take care of" herself.

"What was _that_ about?" I demanded the instant her car pulled out of the driveway. "You practically gave Layla frostbite!"

"Layla and I have...history," Drew replied tersely. I noticed that he waited a beat or two before giving me his answer.

I folded my arms across my chest. "You mean she's your ex."

"Something like that." Drew joined me on the sofa and leaned back, then closed his lids and exhaled. "I felt sorry for her." When he glanced at me again, his eyes implored me to understand where he was coming from. "Layla has dreadful luck with relationships because she can't control her hunger around humans. Vampires, however, are immune because we're already dead."

I nodded and told him to go on. It made sense that they would gravitate towards one another.

"I met her a few years before you. Layla and I were both lonely and had something in common, so we tried to make a go of it, but the chemistry just wasn't there-for me, at least. Although we remained friends, I always suspected that Layla still had feelings for me. I try to be civil because you two are friends, but I don't want to give her the wrong impression, either."

"I see." I did, too. It took a special kind of man to remain on relatively friendly terms with his ex while allowing his current girlfriend to befriend her. There were bound to be awkward, tension-filled moments when all three of them were in the same room.

"I'm sure you can understand why I was uncomfortable tonight. However"-He took my hand and placed it directly over his silent heart-"I assure you that my heart belongs to you alone. Please forgive me for my rudeness."

"It's all right. I understand completely." I removed my hand from his chest and lightly traced along the contours of his face.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked in a hushed tone. My touch seemed to have turned him to stone, because, mouth aside, he hadn't moved a muscle.

"Just checking to see if you're real. You know, Drew, sometimes I think you're too good to be true."

Drew merely laughed at that.

* * *

I learned to measure the passing of time by my sleeping patterns rather than consulting a clock or calendar. Waking up feeling alert and refreshed meant it was just after sunset. Daylight meant a deep sleep that I quickly returned to should I happen to awaken. Quite a few days and nights had passed since I had developed amnesia, but I _still_ couldn't remember anything during my waking hours.

The dreams, however, were coming faster now—sometimes two or three in a day—and alternated between sweet memories, nightmares that may or may not have been flashbacks, and what I could only hope were hallucinations.

One dream in particular haunted me...

"_Katie? I'm cold."_

_I rolled over and quickly realized that Angelina had hogged the bedding and wrapped herself up like a mummy on the other side of the bed._

"_Sorry. I'll turn on the heat." I was used to going without heat and air conditioning, so I often forgot to make the necessary adjustments after my human girlfriend had moved in. I kissed her forehead apologetically and was about to get out of bed when Angelina grabbed my wrist. _

"_Actually...I was hoping _you_ could warm me up." She grinned as she cast the sheet, blanket, and comforter aside in one smooth motion, revealing a perfect body which was as naked as mine but considerably more tan. "I'd be more than happy to return the favor when you're done."_

_I smirked. "How can I resist an offer like that?"_

_Between sensual kisses and my fingers working their magic, I soon had Angelina moaning and writhing in ecstasy. Her responsiveness never failed to turn me on, and I almost wished I had gone first._

"_Bite me!" she begged, and, as my mouth closed over her throat, the pleasure overwhelmed her and she cried out. Meanwhile, I continued to struggle with the desire to take more than just a taste of her blood, but I forced myself to back away when the aftershocks began._

_Angelina rested in my arms while I waited for her to catch her breath. As I did every time we made love, I worried that I might exhaust her to the point of death someday. But looking down at her peaceful face—closed eyes, lips curved into a contented smile, glistening, flushed skin—replaced my fears with pure joy._

_It took longer than I liked, but eventually she had recovered enough to give me what I craved._

"_I'm going to show you just how much I love you," she whispered with a smirk as she flipped on top of me._

"_Please..." I couldn't think of a more coherent response than that, and Angelina didn't wait for me to say anything else. _

_She focused on caressing my most sensitive areas, and I made increasingly loud noises of approval until I, too, had reached heaven. Angelina even nibbled at my neck in imitation of my bite._

"_I want you to turn me," she whispered into my ear._

"_What?" That simple sentence helped bring me down to earth again. I was surprised because Angelina and I had never discussed the subject, although she made the occasional envious comment about my eternal youth and beauty. I would have _loved_ for her to become like me, of course, but I had just assumed she'd prefer to remain human, so I never pressured her to choose otherwise._

"_Make me a vampire so we can be together forever." Her eyes were shining and her words tumbled out like they couldn't escape from her brain fast enough. "I want _us_ to be bonded like you are to _him_"-The word "him" was splashed with a generous dose of contempt-"so I don't have to worry about losing you again."_

"_Angelina..."_

_She launched her campaign with renewed enthusiasm. "If you really are my soul mate, you won't deny me the chance to spend eternity with you. Think about it: I'll never die, I'll never get old and ugly–_and_, if I need to, I'll be able to defend myself against a certain vampire who hates me for stealing his girlfriend. Oh, please say yes, Katie!"_

"_Well-"_

_She tilted her chin defiantly._ "_I've been thinking about this ever since we got together and I won't take no for an answer." _

_I burst out laughing, much to her confusion. Angelina's only flaw was her love of talking nonstop. _

"_I'll do it when I get back from holiday—_if _you're still interested," I promised. She looked like she couldn't decide whether to burst into tears or scream at me in frustration, so I was quick to plead my case. "It takes a long time to learn how to control your hunger, Angelina—a _long_ time." _Years, in my experience.._."I'm afraid you might do something you'll regret if I leave you alone." I gently stroked her face and smiled at her before continuing. "I want to be there so I can help you and teach you everything a vampire needs to know."_

"_Fine," Angelina sighed dramatically after she thought it over, "but my mind is made up." _

It took me a few minutes to snap out of the steamy trance created by my latest flashback, but, when I did, I was mortified_._

The pieces of the puzzle had fallen neatly and suddenly into place: Angelina, Drew's apparent lack of knowledge about her, Angelina's references to the bond I shared with a male vampire and "stealing" me away from him...It all hit me like a ton of bricks and I choked back a sob.

I had cheated on Drew with Angelina—and it was an _affair_, not a one night stand.

I was beyond devastated. Angelina might be beautiful and sinfully seductive, but I'd been with Drew for nearly a_ decade_, and he was the most sensitive and devoted lover anyone could ask for. Was I actually a lesbian or just attracted to both sexes? Either way, I was in the wrong for living a lie and hurting an innocent man in the process.

And, if what Angelina said was correct, Drew knew about the affair—but, after I emerged from the coma with amnesia, he feigned ignorance regarding my...girlfriend. Why? I could only assume that I had ended things with her and Drew, who was clearly still very much in love with me, had given me a second chance.

Sick with guilt, I came to the conclusion that I needed to let go of the past and focus on creating a future with Drew instead. I definitely felt _something_ for him, and I wanted to see if we could rekindle the passion we'd once had—starting right now. I owed him that much.

I resolutely marched over to the dresser and opened the drawer filled with lingerie. After some deliberation, I selected a lacy, bright red bra-and-panties set, then slipped into the bathroom to change and add the finishing details: Tousled curls, plenty of black eyeliner and mascara, and an alluring shade of red lipstick. I smirked at my reflection before zipping back into the bedroom and calling out sweetly to Drew.

He opened the door to the sight of me lounging on the bed with one leg crossed over the other, a smirk on my face and come hither eyes that dared him to resist my advances.

"Katie." His voice squeaked and he swallowed hard, unable to resist giving me a thorough once over with his eyes. Only a thin ring of blue was visible around the enlarged burgundy-black pupils. "Well, _this_ is a pleasant surprise." His fangs peeked out through parted lips, and I caught a glimpse of his tongue as he ran it over his teeth.

"Do you like it?" I asked coyly. I felt like the R-rated version of a 1940s femme fatale, and, judging by Drew's very physical reaction, I held as much power over him as those wicked ladies did over their leading men. My own fangs extended in anticipation.

He nodded vigorously, wide-eyed. "I...I love it, but why are you..."

I patted the bed next to me. "Isn't it obvious, Drew? I want you to make love to me."


	10. Familiar Strangers

Thank you ElizaMassani, xj0j0x, Lay-Cool Lover, and Ainat for reviewing the last chapter. You can expect a lot of excitement in this one! Please let me know what you think. :)

* * *

"Are you sure?" The wooden door frame splintered underneath Drew's fingers. His hold on it was the only thing keeping him from acting on his desires.

I nodded, smirking, then whipped off my bra and sent it sailing through the air. Drew caught it with one hand, quickly tossed the garment aside, and joined me in bed.

"I love you, Drew Galloway," I whispered, pressing my lips against his while I fumbled impatiently with the buttons on his shirt.

"I love you, too, Katie," he assured me in between kisses and removing articles of clothing from both of our bodies.

If I was hungry for Drew's touch, then he was _starving _to touch me. His lips, tongue, and hands eagerly roamed all over my body-almost as if he'd never explored it before. I did my best to pleasure him, too, and, judging by the noises he made, I seemed to be doing a good job.

Although I enjoyed the sensations coursing throughout my body, I was getting restless for more.

"Please, Drew," I begged. "Don't...Don't hold back..." He was happy to oblige, and I cried out as he plunged into me, over and over again, until I thought I'd die from the ecstasy. The end result was better and more intense than anything I could have dreamed of in even my wildest fantasies.

Seconds later, Drew gave my throat a final nip and collapsed on top of me with a satisfied groan. I had ripped his hair free of its ponytail when we first began to get intimate, and now I pushed it away from his face so I could see the joy that lit up his eyes.

He kissed me gently and thanked me.

"_I _should be thanking _you_," I insisted with a smile. "You've made me the happiest woman on earth."

Drew rolled over, and I immediately curled up in his arms with my head resting against his chest. Our cold skin had retained much of the heat from lovemaking, and being in that position felt comfortable and safe—not to mention very natural.

My lover smiled. "I'm glad. You know...We used to do this several times a day," he reminded me as he combed his fingers through my hair, stopping every now and then to carefully untangle a snarl.

"Mmm...I could _definitely_ get used to that," I murmured, earning laughter.

"Rest for awhile and then we'll do it again."

I made sure to take him up on the offer...several times.

We couldn't seem to get enough of each other, but eventually we-temporarily, at least-fulfilled our individual needs and just enjoyed each other's company. And, when dawn finally rolled around and Drew agreed to share the bed with me while I slept, I concluded that I had just had the best day ever.

* * *

_I groaned as I sat up in bed, one hand automatically going to my stiff neck to offer support. The bedroom looked...different. Brighter. I could hear Stu pacing a groove in the floorboards before I even opened my eyes, but he was at my side the moment he realized I had awakened._

"_I'm sorry you're in pain, Katarina," he apologized as he knelt down on the floor, a guilt-stricken expression crossing his face. He took my hand between his and kissed it. "I tried to be gentle when I did it, but..."_

"_What are you talking about?" I asked with a blank stare. I attempted to trace my memories, but the last thing I could remember was making love with Stu. I didn't recall him being especially rough, nor could I find any evidence of biting when I massaged my neck. I felt strange, too: Groggy, as if I'd overslept, yet attuned to the small changes in my environment in a way that I never had been before—like how the whole room smelled of roses. _

_Stu's lips almost formed a smile. "Ah, that's right. I didn't remember, either, when it happened to me..." He took a deep breath and explained matter-of-factually, "You _insisted_ that I turn you, so I did." _

_A broad grin spread across my face as reality began to sink in. After years of relentless nagging on my part and countless excuses from Stu, he had finally agreed to make my dream come true._

"_Thank you." I guided his face close to mine with my fingertips and placed a grateful kiss on his lips. "But what made you change your mind?"_

"_You threatened to get Drew to do it. I couldn't bear the thought of you being bonded to another man for eternity."_

"_That was rather clever of me." I couldn't, however, imagine actually making good on my threat after what that bastard attempted to do. I'd much rather murder him—and the feeling was almost certainly mutual. _

_Stu scowled. "It was indeed. Oh—These are for you." He retrieved a bouquet consisting of a dozen red roses from the nightstand and presented them to me. It had become a tradition for me to receive this arrangement on my birthday. "Since you now have two birthdays, you can expect roses twice a year for eternity."_

_I smirked as I inhaled the floral perfume. "They don't make men like you anymore, Stu."_

_He laughed. "Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to uphold." I watched him select some clothing at random from my wardrobe, then lay out his selections at the foot of the bed. "You still need to complete the transition, love. Get dressed and I'll teach you the fine art of hunting."_

I was too exhausted upon awakening to reflect on what I'd just learned, and I soon returned to the land of dreams.

_Drew cocked his head, smirking as he eyed me appreciatively. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"_

"_You might have mentioned it once or twice." I was used to men complimenting me on my "gothic" beauty, but, knowing Drew's reputation, I began to feel uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I don't have time to talk. I have a headache and Stu expects me to come straight home after rehearsals." The parking lot was otherwise empty of human life, but no one would have noticed me anyway because the position of my car blocked their view. I'd started to get a migraine in the middle of rehearsals-something that only seemed to happen to me whenever danger was near-and I was allowed to leave early. _

_I was so distracted by the idea of going home to a cup of custom blended herbal tea-spiked with a few healing drops of Stu's blood-and a long nap that I didn't realize Drew was the source of my warning pains._

_I'd only opened the driver's side door about an inch before he slammed it shut and spun me around. He put one arm on either side of my waist and his palms rested on the black metal of my vehicle's exterior. His smirk, which seemed to grow wider by the second, made my heart pound like a drum._

_I was trapped._

_Vulnerable._

"_What the hell, Drew?"_

"_You're too good for him," he murmured in response, and I could see the lust lurking behind his hunger. "He can't take care of you like I can. Let me show you…"_

"_Don't-" I was cut off when the vampire pressed his cold lips against mine. I foolishly tried to shove him away, which was about as effective as trying to move a brick wall with my bare hands. He ripped my shirt from the collar down and caressed my breasts through my bra. Worst of all, I could feel his desire for me through his pants and mine, too. _

_If I didn't do something soon, I was going to meet a gruesome end._

_Thinking quickly, I forced myself to become still as a statue until Drew inevitably shoved his tongue into my mouth-at which point I bit down. _Hard_. _

_Only then did he stop kissing me. He mumbled something that was might have been, "So, you like it rough?" and I responded by spitting his own blood into his face._

_Drew tried to wipe his eyes with one hand while grabbing my throat with the other. He was obviously trying to restrain me, not strangle me, but I was in pain and gasping for air. I fought back a wave of panic. If I swallowed even a drop of his blood by accident and he killed me…_

_He loosened his grip just enough to allow a welcome rush of air into my lungs. The gray shadows that had threatened to engulf me in permanent darkness mercifully faded away. Everything happened so quickly...The next thing I knew, I was lying across the backseat while Drew positioned himself over me._

"_I'll make you suffer, bitch," he vowed. His fangs scraped against my neck as he spoke, and I felt one of his hands undo the button of my pants and grab the zipper. "I'll make you _beg _for_ death_." _

_Tears-of pain, of fear, of disgust-suddenly flooded my eyes. My witty, intelligent friend was gone. He had been possessed by a bloodthirsty, sex-crazed, possibly homicidal madman-and that madman must be stopped. _

_I remembered a useful spell I'd learned as a teenager, and I struggled to recite it in German despite my injured throat. At the same time, I visualized flames engulfing Drew's arms. _

_Drew's reflexes were so fast that he could have stripped me naked and been having his way with me already, but I think he wanted to prolong my torture. He had only gotten as far as removing my pants, and he had just begun to slide my underwear down my legs when the spell took effect._

_He didn't actually burst into flames, but the purpose was to make him suffer as opposed to catching fire. I knew the spell was working because he screamed and began to frantically slap at his arms._

_"Make it stop!" he cried, backing away from the car in a hurry. I felt a kind of morbid satisfaction as I watched him sink to the concrete in agony. _

"_Not until you promise never to touch me again," I hissed. I got dressed as quickly as I could and used my fingers to hold my torn shirt together over my exposed breasts._

"_I promise!" He made another horrible noise, sounding something like an animal with its leg caught in a trap-or, rather, what I imagined that would sound like. "I swear I'll leave you alone! Just make it fucking stop!" _

"_Forever?"_

_"Yes, forever!" he choked out in between shrieks._

The darkness claimed me again, pulling me under to suffer through yet another horrific flashback...

"_I take it you've heard the good news..."_

"_I won't have him in my home, Stuart," I said quietly but firmly. _

_Stu scowled. "I know I should have consulted you first, but it's _my _home, too, and-"_

_"He tried to rape me."_

_I heard his sharp intake of breath and waited for a display of righteous anger at the idea of another man attempting to violate his woman, but Stu's face simply went blank, as if I'd just spoken to him in German._

"_What?" he finally asked._

"_It happened a few months before you turned me," I began. "Remember that night I came home early from rehearsals with a migraine?" Stu didn't nod, or say yes, or do anything in response, really. He just continued to stare at me with a dumbfounded expression, so I continued my story. "Drew cornered me in the parking lot. I thought he was hungry, and he was, but...He wanted something else, too: M_e_._

_"He said I was too good for you and he could take care of me better, and...he kissed me." I blinked and inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, trying to stop the inevitable flow of hot tears. "I tried to fight him off, but..." I shrugged helplessly, knowing that Stu would understand what I meant, and began to cry as the memories came racing back. "Drew got angry. He choked me and forced me into the back of my car. Then he started to...He started to undress me..." I was sobbing by then and could barely force the words past my lips. "Oh, Stu, it was dreadful! I only escaped because I used magic-"_

_"Shut up!" Stu roared, having finally snapped out of his trance. At the same time, his fist collided with my face. _

_I let out a scream that could probably be heard from miles away. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth as I gingerly touched my throbbing jawbone. It was indeed a miracle that my jaw wasn't shattered and all of my teeth, fangs included, seemed to be intact, but I would be in excruciating pain for a long time to come._

_That pain was the only reason I knew I hadn't been dreaming. Stu had never, _ever _raised a hand to me before..._

_"How dare you accuse him of something so vile! I've known Drew Galloway for nearly a century, Katarina, and he's an honorable man." Honorable? He narrowed his eyes as he towered over me. "You, however, are one of those trollops who throws herself shamelessly at every man in sight and dresses like she belongs on a street corner!" _

_I jumped off the sofa and slapped the taste out of his mouth before I even thought about my actions—because, if I had, I wouldn't have done anything to further enrage Stu. But, damn it, he _deserved _it for making such nasty accusations about me!_

_He had me by the throat and slammed me against the wall in a heartbeat. My feet dangled uselessly above the floor and I dug my nails into Stu's arms in desperation—not that it had any effect on him. Being choked hurt like hell. _

"_You shouldn't have done that, Katarina," he said in a deadly tone, "just like you shouldn't have tried to seduce Drew." My eyes widened and I was tempted to point out that he himself had warned me repeatedly not to be alone with Drew, but Stu had cut off my ability to speak. "Yes, I know the truth. It's obvious that you created the rape story to cover your tracks, and now you're afraid Drew will tell me what a wicked woman you really are." _

_All I could do in my defense was shake my head, which earned me a slap that sent fresh waves of pain reverberating throughout my face. The world began to spin and I slid down the wall into a sitting position. Shooting stars danced before my eyes, disappearing just in time for me to witness Stu rip a framed picture off the wall and break off part of the wooden frame. He carelessly tossed aside the remains, showering me in shards of glass, and one of his heavy boots smashed into my ribcage as I dropped to my hands and knees and attempted to crawl away._

_Another bloodcurdling scream escaped from my throat, coinciding with the cracking noise that my broken rib, or ribs, made. It sounded hauntingly similar to the sound of the wooden frame Stu had broken._

_Stu grabbed a handful of my hair and dragged me to my feet. I hated to show weakness in front of him, but I was in so much pain that I couldn't help but sob._

"_Were there others? How many blokes have you been fucking behind my back? Answer me!" Stu demanded. He shouted and shook me by the hair for emphasis, jolting my battered system even more than I had thought possible. _

_"I would never cheat on you! I swear!" My voice sounded funny—raspy-from being suffocated earlier._

_"You've disappointed me, love." He tauntingly ran the sharp edge of the broken picture frame down my cheek. Splinters embedded themselves just underneath my skin. "You've betrayed my trust and broken my heart—and for that, you must be punished."_

My eyelids flew open, but, even in my half-awake state, I was coherent enough to remain perfectly still otherwise. I knew that even the slightest movement would be enough to disturb Drew. A sudden bout of nausea that had nothing to do with hunger made me stomach churn.

I had fallen asleep in the arms of the man I loved—only to awaken in the embrace of a monster.

_No_. There had to be _some_ other explanation...Surely, I was entitled to the occasional nightmare or dream that was nothing more that that! Must _every_ vision I receive in my sleep be a flashback? It was difficult to imagine that the man who had so tenderly made love to me was capable of such a vicious assault...

Then again, Stu had been both my lover and my tormenter, so it would be foolish _not_ to consider the possibility. And, if my first dream was accurate, he was my _real_ maker-not Drew.

Also, what about Angelina calling me her soul mate and begging me to turn her? She wouldn't have said those things if she didn't love me with all her heart—and I wouldn't have agreed to her request if I didn't feel the same way about her.

And Drew...He had proven himself to be a compulsive liar, alternately rewriting my history, telling half-truths, and lying by omission. I shuddered to think about what other dark secrets he might be hiding from me. No wonder I couldn't recall a single memory from our supposed relationship: We had never even _been_ in a relationship until recently!

I began to feel very naive—not to mention dirty. I was disgusted with myself for making all of Drew's fantasies come true just because I'd misinterpreted my latest dream about Angelina. There wasn't enough bleach in the world to wash away my sins...

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Drew stirred behind me unexpectedly and placed a kiss on my shoulder. Last night, that would have sent a thrill from my head to my toes, but now it just made me feel ill. If I couldn't get away, then I at least wanted to be left alone to sort out the chaos in my mind.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning," I mumbled, but that Scottish accent grated on my ears after hearing him call me a bitch and vowing to make me suffer. He immediately began to kiss and stroke me rather intimately, and my body responded to his touches against my will. I forced myself to turn away from him.

"Not now. I'm hungry," I protested, trying to come across as whining. I was afraid I'd give in to his demands and then feel even worse about myself afterward if I didn't put a stop to things at once.

"So am I," Drew confided with a smirk.

"I'm talking about blood, Drew." My voice trembled slightly.

He sighed. "Of course. All right. Just relax and I'll bring you breakfast in bed."

"No! I-I think it's time I learned how to...hunt." I didn't know if being outdoors would make a difference, but I hoped leaving the house would somehow increase my odds of escaping.

"You never wanted to learn before," Drew pointed out. The faintest hint of annoyance flickered over his face, and I felt a chill race down my spine. I didn't have magic to protect me this time should the _real _Drew emerge.

"It's an important skill," I argued back. "And what if we run out of blood packets?"

"We have enough for now," he said curtly, already on his feet and tugging on his boxers. So much for my brilliant idea...I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling so his beautifully sculpted body wouldn't tempt me into doing anything else I'd later regret. "I'll just be a minute."

As soon as he began to descend the staircase, I hurried to cover myself with a violet silk robe I'd discovered in the lingerie drawer and slipped on last night's panties. As quietly as I could, I pushed the curtains aside and unlocked the window, then rested my palms on the frigid windowsill while I contemplated my next move.

If I jumped, I risked breaking every bone in my body, but the thick layer of snow would cushion my fall somewhat. I raised the glass in one smooth movement, fully opening the window...

"What are you doing?"

I whirled around just before Drew pushed me aside and slammed the window shut. The vicious rattling coincided with my heart sinking. I knew that he wouldn't _dare_ let me out of his sight again after this incident.

"I just wanted some fresh air," I protested. I looked away and noticed that one of the two blood bags Drew had hastily deposited on the nightstand was already opened. My imagination ran wild with terror, and I began to suspect that Drew intended to either drug me or poison me...

He managed a tense smile. "Please tell me you're not having regrets about last night."

"What? No! No, of course not." If he only knew the truth!

Now Drew regarded me with an intensely curious expression, his arms folded across his chest. "Then what's the problem? Why are you so nervous?"

"I-I had a nightmare and it upset me." I silently cursed my amnesia for erasing everything I'd ever learned in my acting classes. I could _really_ use a few tips right now...

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "About?"

"About Stu." I buried my face in my hands and whipped my head back and forth, as if reliving the memory was incredibly traumatic for me. "Oh, Drew, it was _dreadful_! He kept yelling at me and hitting me, and I woke up just as he began to strangle me...It felt so _real_!"

I peeked between my fingers when I heard a rustling noise and saw that Drew had snatched the open bag off the nightstand. Slowly, I lowered my hands. He dangled the offering in front of me enticingly as smiled—a cold smile that reminded me of the one Layla had received.

"That must have been frightening, but I'm sure you'll feel better after you've fed," he cooed.

I demurely refused, insisting that I'd changed my mind.

"_Now_ what's the matter? I thought you were hungry," he snapped, dragging his fingers roughly through his loose hair. "You know, you''re acting like you're afraid..." Those blue eyes, which were growing blacker by the second, widened, then narrowed at me suspiciously. "What do you remember, Katie?"

_He knows. _My knees threatened to give way and, after bracing myself with one hand resting on the mattress, I tried to slow the adrenaline coursing throughout my body.

"I told you, I had a nightmare about Stu-"

"That's not _all _you remembered, though. I know this because you tossed and turned all damn day! So answer the question!"

"All right...I had _several_ bad dreams about Stu-"

"I should've known this was going to happen..." he muttered, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a good shake. "Damn it, you ruined everything! You weren't supposed to remember!"

"Remember what?" I asked, wide-eyed. On the outside, I was trying my hardest to feign innocence, but, on the inside, my mind had gone into overdrive trying to determine the meaning behind Drew's last sentence. I came to the chilling realization that my amnesia was no accident.

Drew, meanwhile, continued to unravel right before my very eyes. It was a terrifying sight to behold, and I feared that he could snap and kill me at any second.

"This is all your fault! None of this would have ever happened if you just loved me the way I loved you!" he cried while I slowly backed away. A piece of my heart ached for this man—a man whose unrequited love for me turned into obsession and, finally, hatred—but his actions were beyond forgiveness. "But, no, I was never good enough for you, was I? I wasn't _perfect_ like _Stu_." He practically spat out Stu's name. "How I wish I'd taken that bastard's life years ago!"

"Drew, I...I..." But the right words weren't on the tip of my tongue, and I trailed off helplessly. What can one say to a madman that won't further incite his temper?

"It doesn't matter now." Drew switched from burning hot rage to cool indifference with bewildering ease. "I got what I wanted, so,,,."

"What did you want?" I asked softly. _Keep him talking, _urged a little voice inside my head.

"At first, I wanted you dead, but then I came up with a better plan. I thought it would be _much_ more satisfying to seduce the heartless bitch who rejected me and make her scream my name when I was fucking her." A sadistic smirk contorted his features as he undoubtedly relived those steamy memories. "I guess my plan worked."

"Can't we put the past behind us, Drew?" I murmured, fighting every instinct I had to lower my gaze to the floor so my eyes wouldn't betray me. Instead, I offered up a hesitant smile and lightly traced a fingernail down his bare chest, which contracted upon being touched. "There's a part of me that's still in love with you, and...and I think we could work things out if we tried." The words tasted vile and sounded forced in spite of my best efforts.

Drew returned the smile. Seconds later, his clenched fist smashed into my jaw, sending me reeling against the bed. I struggled to right myself in the suddenly-spinning room. Blood filled my mouth and dripped from the corner of my lip, and I ended up coughing it onto the floor.

"Did you honestly think I was going to fall for that?" Laughing, he slipped his fingers into my hair and jerked me to my feet, ripping out a few clumps in the process. "Oh, Katie...Whatever am I going to do with you? I suppose I should kill you, but that would mean missing out on all the _fun_ we could have together..." Drew glanced down at the forgotten blood packet in his free hand, then back at me, and his entire face lit up with a sinister glow. That's when I knew for sure that he had tainted the blood, even though it smelled perfectly fine to me. "I probably shouldn't make such a big decision on an empty stomach. Care to join me for breakfast?"

I shook my head and began to flail around with the intensity of someone drowning, careful to keep my teeth gritted and my lips sealed, yet Drew had no problem dragging me onto the bed and pinning me beneath him. He slapped me when I refused to settle down, but that only strengthened my resolve. I tried in vain to remember the spell I'd used against him when he'd attempted to rape me.

Some of the blood splashed against my face and landed in my hair as I whipped my head back and forth. My flesh sizzled where the blood hit it and my screams were muffled as I clamped my teeth over the tip of my tongue. There was no way in hell I was going to let him pour this poison down my throat. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my burning cheeks, but they did little to soothe my injuries.

"It's just silver, you stupid bitch. It won't _kill you_."

_Silver_. Silver caused severe burns to vampire flesh and paralysis if ingested. I stopped clawing at Drew's face and arms, which had only made him angrier, and slapped the hand holding the bag directly towards him. Silver-laced blood sprayed out and scalded the right side of his face, and Drew suddenly had bigger problems to contend with than a panic-stricken young vampire.

As he howled and clutched his face, I shoved him away, rolled off the bed, and took off. I could hear Drew stagger to his feet and begin to stomp after me, yelling and cursing me. Oh, why did the hallway have to be so fucking _long_?

He tackled me when I was halfway down the staircase.

We tumbled down the remaining steps together and landed painfully on the tile in a heap of tangled limbs. Mercifully, the open blood bag was nowhere to be found. I quickly disentangled myself from him, but not before he reached out and caught my wrist in a grip that instantly broke a few bones. I whimpered and bit my lip hard so the bastard wouldn't get the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

I dared to peek at Drew and was shocked at the damage done. Blisters covered the right half of his face, blood gushed from a spot on his forehead where he'd smacked it against the tile, and lesser amounts of blood dripped from his nose and lower lip. I imagined that I didn't look much better.

"Now I'm _definitely _going to murder you," he snarled, ripping open my robe despite my struggles, "but I promise you'll die with a smile on your face." A shriek escaped from my throat as he sank his fangs into my left breast. Part of me wished he'd hurry up and kill me already, but then I changed my mind when an image of the beautiful Angelina danced into my mind.

I had to live...I had to find her_—_my _soul mate_...

Just then, the doorbell rang. If there was such a thing as divine intervention, this was it.

"Fuck!" Drew withdrew his fangs and cast a savage glare at the front door. He appeared to be listening, as I was, for a heartbeat. There was only silence in response, however, so I gathered that our visitor was either a vampire or a ghost. An irritated Drew growled, hastily belted my robe, and pulled me to my feet. "You're coming with me," he added unnecessarily, since I couldn't have possibly freed myself from that iron grip of his.

There was no one there by the time we reached the front door—only a single red rose on the doorstep, its bud and the upper half of the stem wrapped in a gold necklace.

"What the hell?" Drew muttered, glancing at me in confusion.

_He_ might have been puzzled, but I immediately recognized the significance of the items from various flashbacks and was overcome by a wave of dizziness.

Seconds later, something crashed against, or maybe_ through_, the back door and Stu stormed into the living room. I was vaguely aware of—and offended by—Drew's attempt to use me as a shield, but the majority of my attention was drawn to the menacing figure advancing on us. His fangs were bared and the green eyes I remembered so vividly were now entirely jet black. It was my other worst nightmare come to life.

"Fancy seeing you two together." The casual words belied the homicidal rage that was surely bubbling just below the surface, and I knew then that Drew and I were both going to die tonight.


	11. What Follows is Destruction

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: ElizaMassani, xj0j0x, GeneralHerbison, ImSeriousBro, Ainat, and Pin Up Strong Anvilette. There's plenty of excitement and some surprises in this chapter. Let me know what you think!

Also, this chapter title is from "Hands of the Wicked" (again). Credit goes to Goldy Locks. :)

* * *

I couldn't help but shiver as Stu's intense gaze swept over us, taking in Drew, who was only clad in his boxers, and me in a robe so short it barely covered the necessities. He frowned as he lingered on our faces, which were now caked in dried blood and likely still had visible burn marks from being sprayed with silver.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" he asked, watching with narrowed eyes as I cradled my broken wrist. "You both look like you've been to war." That meant something coming from someone who'd actually fought in a war.

"It's a long story," Drew mumbled. His hands, wrapped securely around my upper arms, trembled as he spoke. "How did you get out, anyway?"

Stu shrugged. "I'm not sure—and it doesn't matter." He paused to sniff the air and curled his lip in disgust. "I'd much rather talk about what my best mate and my ex-girlfriend have been doing behind my back."

"It's...It's not what you think, mate," Drew sputtered, slowly backing toward the open front door with me in tow. "I-I can explain..."

"Please do." Stu halted in place, folded his arms across his chest, and tilted his head slightly. This, I knew, was the calm before the storm. I supposed it would be wise to beg for mercy, but I had my pride—and, if I had to die, then I was going to die fighting.

Drew gulped. "Katie had amnesia and I've been taking care of her because that's what friends do-"

"Amnesia." Stu eyed me with curiosity before those creepy black eyes looked over my head and rested on Drew's face. I got the impression that Drew was actually in far more danger than I was, although I also knew that Stu wasn't likely to forgive me after what I'd done to him.

"I can't help it if she fell in love with me," protested Drew. "I-"

"I only fell in love with you because you pretended to be my boyfriend!" I snapped at him, craning my neck to glare at him since, try as I might, I couldn't free myself from his grasp.

"He did _what_?"

We both flinched at Stu's thunderous tone, and, as he rushed toward us, Drew gave me a shove that sent me flying directly into the other man's path. I skidded to a stop, convinced that Stu would forget all about Drew and just take his anger out on me instead, but he surprised me by running right past me. I remained a safe distance away, leery of getting too close to either of them.

He grabbed Drew by the throat before he could even cross the threshold. Dazed, I watched Stu slam him against the nearest wall, leaving behind an impression of the back of Drew's head.

"Don't tell me you believe her!" Drew's voice was considerably strained, and his blue eyes bulged with terror and probably shock as well. "You know how manipulative and seductive Katie can be when she wants something..."

Stu nodded. "I most certainly do. However, I also know that you've had a crush on Katie for years, but I didn't believe you were stupid enough to act on those feelings. Now I realize that this isn't the first time you've taken advantage of her."

I gasped, knowing that he was referring to the night Drew tried to rape me but unable to believe my ears.

Drew wore a mask of innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Stu saw right through his innocent act and delivered a swift punch to the face. Drew grimaced as red droplets trickled down his chin from his lip.

"No? I'd think that would be a memorable event. After all, none of your other victims escaped being raped, tortured, and murdered."

"'Other victims'?" I echoed, but neither of them paid me any attention. My head was spinning. I was thrilled that Stu finally believed my side of the story, yet horrified by his accusations against Drew.

"I've changed! I'm not the same man I was back then!" Drew squared his jaw defiantly and looked Stu right in the eye. "I would _never_ hurt Katie."

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at that statement.

"Really? Then what just happened to her?" Stu gestured to me with his free hand.

"It was self-defense," Drew whined. "The bitch"-Stu backhanded him and he yelped-"went crazy and tried to kill me! Honest!" Stu looked to me for confirmation and found me slowly shaking my head in disbelief.

"He's lying," I seethed, fists clenched. Drew gave me such a vengeful glare in return that I was tempted to run like hell, but Stu had him pinned securely against the wall. The words spilled from my tongue in a hurry. "I started remembering things when I was asleep, but I didn't remember what Drew did to me until after we had sex for the first time last night. He turned violent when he realized I knew the truth-"

"She doesn't know what she's saying! It's the amnesia-"

"_Shut up_." Drew expression turned sullen in response, but he was at least smart enough to follow Stu's orders. "Continue, Katarina."

"He put silver in one of the blood bags and tried to pour it down my throat. We struggled, and I managed to get some of it on his face." Fear had distracted me from my injuries, but talking about them called attention to my still-stinging burns and throbbing wrist.

Although Stu was livid when I first started telling the story, he was smirking by the time I finished. He turned his attention back to Drew.

"Your story is complete rubbish. No vampire of your age could possibly need to defend himself against someone so young and weak."

I frowned at being called weak, but I let it go because I knew that he was just stating the facts. Without my magic, I was no more powerful or special than an ordinary human being.

Drew squirmed. "But Katie's part witch! She could have used magic against me!"

"That's ridiculous! I can't even remember a single spell!" I hissed. I regretted choosing to cast spells in a language I was no longer fluent in.

"You had me fooled for a long time, Drew," Stu muttered, shaking his head. Drew gagged as Stu's grip on his throat became tighter. "I should have known it was just an act. You've always been a beast at heart." Without warning, he flung Drew to the floor. Drew tried to spring up, but Stu held him in place with an enormous boot to the sternum.

"He never was a gentleman, was he?" I asked. I felt a twinge of sadness as I reminisced about the Drew who had danced with me and taught me songs on the piano. It was almost as if he had an evil twin who'd pretended to be him for awhile.

Stu glanced over his shoulder at me and shook his head. "No, I suppose not...Almost a century ago, a vampire I was acquainted with came to me for help. Her name was Tiffany, and-"

"Don't you _dare _bring up Tiffany!" Drew writhed around in fury but was unable to escape. Apparently, the very mention of his maker's name was enough to hit a nerve.

Stu continued as if he'd never been interrupted: "She told me she'd created a monster when she turned her lover—that he was out of control and she couldn't stop him from torturing and killing young women in particularly gruesome ways. With great effort, I managed to persuade Drew that he'd best find a different path or there would be severe consequences."

"Drew told me you and Tiffany were the monsters," I said, scowling at Drew. When would the lies end?

"She's an ungrateful whore, just like you!" he snarled, and Stu mashed his boot against his jaw in retaliation.

"Another lie," Stu remarked, in response to my comment. "Tiffany's record is clean, and my only kills have been either accidental or justified." He bowed his head and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Katarina. I honestly believed that Drew had changed for the better." There was no mistaking the remorse etched into Stu's handsome features.

Drew took advantage of Stu's distracted emotional state and pulled his leg, tripping him, then kneed the other man in the midsection as he stood. Stu grunted in pain but righted himself just in time to catch Drew's fist before it could connect with his skull.

"I wouldn't try that again," he advised, then smashed Drew across the face with an elbow. I immediately recognized the sickening crunch associated with a fracture and glimpsed blood running from the Scottish vampire's nose. His agonized screams continued to ring in my ears as Stu grabbed a handful of long hair, threw him back down, and began to rub his face into the floorboards.

Instinctively, I sought out a hiding place behind Drew's armchair several yards away. I did _not_ want to risk being caught in the line of fire.

"Stop! Stop! I'm sorry!" Drew cried out, and Stu put his assault on hold.

"Do you believe him?" he asked me, eyebrows raised cynically. Drew, his broken nose still pressed against the wood, made pathetic whimpering noises in the meantime.

I shook my head. "No." How could I possibly believe _anything_ that came out of Drew's mouth ever again?

"Neither do I."

The assault continued with Stu bashing Drew's head into the floor a few times and then rolling him over onto his back. There was a brief tussle, but Stu's superior strength won out, and, after taking several punches from Drew, he crouched over him and began pummeling him with hard right hooks.

When Stu finally stopped to survey the damage, Drew immediately clutched his blood-drenched face and began to moan. Although the sheer brutality Stu had inflicted was sickening, I felt no remorse whatsoever for his victim. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be dead right now if the English vampire hadn't shown up when he had.

"I don't think you've learned your lesson yet, Drew," he whispered in his ear, leaving a perfect hand print in blood on the floor next to them.

"Why are you pissed at _me_, anyway?" Drew was having a difficult time talking around a mouthful of blood and spat some of it in Stu's direction. The beating he took had mangled his face and stained it red. Since I hadn't fed yet, looking at him was nearly unbearable. "_Katie's_ the one who broke up with you and locked you in a magical prison!"

Stu shrugged. "While it's true that Katarina and I have our issues, all of our problems can be directly traced back to you. We'd still be together if I hadn't defended you, you swine!" His fist smashed into Drew's face yet again.

_Maybe, maybe not, _I thought, but I was grateful that Stu had finally come to his senses. I could only hope he wouldn't seek revenge on me over the spell—and for choosing Angelina—after he'd dealt with the Drew situation...

"I don't blame you for wanting her back, Stu," Drew sneered, and I was stunned when he dared to glance at me and lick his lips. "She's a great piece of ass-"

A sound like a lion's roar exploded from Stu's throat as he hit Drew once more, then jumped to his feet and began kicking him in the ribs. Bones cracked loudly under his boots, and Drew screamed as if he'd been shot.

"One more word from you and I'll rip your bloody tongue out!" Stu bellowed. Drew wisely decided against speaking for awhile, although he continued to moan and groan. Stu held him in place with one heavy boot against his sternum.

"You're going to kill him now, aren't you?" I asked quietly. I was in favor of anything that would incapacitate Drew permanently: If he wasn't stopped now, he would go on to rape and murder countless other women.

Stu smirked. "Actually, I intended to torture him a bit longer, _then _kill him. Why? Did you want to do it?"

I walked over to Drew, leaned down, and slapped him as hard as I could with my left hand. It felt damn good. The only thing that would have felt better was being able to put a curse of my own on the slimy son of a bitch.

"You're incredibly lucky that I've forgotten how to use my magic," I muttered, then stepped aside so that Stu could continue torturing his former best mate. He knelt down beside him and clenched his fist, ready to strike.

To my amazement, Drew looked surprisingly smug for someone whose death was imminent.

"If I die, Katie will never find out how she got amnesia—or if there's a cure."

I sucked in a breath. A cure? I was as intrigued as I was suspicious. I had thought only time and a lot of sleep would return everything I'd been robbed of, but now...The possibility of all those memories returning at once—even the bad ones—was tantalizing. Even Stu had frozen in place, his fist paused in midair, as he contemplated Drew's words.

Drew eyed me hopefully. "Don't you want to know the truth, Katie?"

"How can I trust you when you've done nothing but lie to me?" I challenged.

"She's got a point," Stu added.

Drew's eyes flashed with aggravation. "I want to live. Yeah, I lied to you before, but my fucking life is at stake here! If ever there was a time for honestly, it's now."

Stu and I exchanged questioning glances, and I nodded, but Stu didn't dare let Drew go.

"Do we have a deal, Stu? Will you promise not to kill me if I tell you the truth?"

"Yes," I said at the same time Stu flat out refused to consider Drew's suggestion. My response earned me a suspicious glare.

"Katarina..."

"The truth is more important to me than revenge, Stu. If you still love me—and I think you do—you'll agree." I gave Stu my best pleading expression, and he seemed to understand what I was doing: We were going to beat Drew at his own game. "Besides," I added, "Drew will suffer _more_ if we _don't_ kill him. He'll have to spend eternity without his best friend and the woman he loves. I can't think of a worse punishment than that."

"She's right," Drew agreed. "It's a horrible fate."

Stu huffed out a seemingly exasperated breath and glared at the other man. He unclenched his fist and lowered his hand, but he waited a few beats before speaking, as if he'd decided to give my suggestion some thought.

"All right, but I'm not doing this for _you_, you pathetic waste of skin. If Katie hadn't intervened, I would have happily _eviscerated_ you."

"I know," Drew squeaked.

"How did I get amnesia, Drew?" I demanded, afraid he might waste even more time by thanking me repeatedly.

"I paid a witch a lot of money to put a curse on you." _Magic. Of course, _I thought, embarrassed over not figuring that out. He scowled. "She was supposed to erase _all _of your memories when I kissed you, but the old hag obviously screwed up the spell because you started remembering things in your dreams..." He nodded towards the coffee table. "I've got her business card in that drawer."

_Business card? _Sure enough, I opened the drawer on the side of the table and found a white card with _KAREN JARRETT, WITCH_ written in calligraphy. The card also listed Karen's phone number, e-mail address, the address of a flat in London, and services offered: Spells, curses, and potions. I was appalled, yet impressed, that she was making money off her magical abilities.

"That doesn't prove anything," scoffed Stu. He dug his fingers into Drew's shoulders and Drew hissed like a snake.

"Ring her up if you don't believe me."

"There's no need for that." An idea had suddenly come to me, disguised as a flashback to one of my nightmares. I'd once used my blood bond with Stu to see into his mind, and, because I'd been intimate with—even in love with—Drew only yesterday, I suspected I could do the same with him.

I marched back to Drew, knelt down at his side, swiped a finger across his bloody cheek, and licked my fingertip.

"What the fuck are you _doing_?" Stu hissed. Drew just stared at me as if I'd gone completely mad.

"He bit me earlier," I explained to a perplexed Stu, "and, now that I've tasted his blood, we're blood-linked. I can look into his memories and find out if he's telling the truth."

Stu looked uneasy. "And how, exactly, do you know this is going to work?"

"You'll just have to trust me." I wasn't about to admit that I'd already done the trick on him. I squeezed Drew's hand before Stu could object, and I was instantly transported to a different place in the not-so-distant past...

"_I generally prefer not to make deals with vampires," the witch informed the man sitting across from her at the kitchen table, her American-accented voice rather cool in tone. This must be Karen. She raised her gaze from her steaming mug of coffee to meet his, and a stiff smile tentatively formed on her aged yet beautiful face. _

_Drew's own smile was exceptionally charming. "But you'll make an exception for me...Right?"_

_She sighed, but her brown eyes filled with lust as she studied him. "Luckily for you, I'm a sucker for a man with blue eyes. Of course, a generous donation never hurts, either, and your offer was simply _impossible_ to refuse...Did you bring the items I requested?"_

_Drew nodded eagerly and reached into the pocked of his leather jacket. He slid a photograph across the table, along with a plastic sandwich bag containing a clump of dark hair that was similar to the witch's own hair color. The witch set her coffee down and carefully examined both items._

"_Who's this?" she asked, tapping Stu's face in the picture with a French-manicured fingernail. I was standing in between him and Drew, my arms around them, and the three of us were smiling to various degrees._

"_Nobody," Drew answered casually. The brunette shrugged in response and ripped off the side of the picture containing Stu, then crumpled it into a ball._

"_You know, a love spell would be easier-"_

"No_!" Drew's fist banged against the table. His passionate response startled, if not frightened, the witch. "She has to forget...She has to forget _everything_," he insisted rather aggressively. "I want Katie to really, truly fall in love with me—not just because she's under the influence of magic!"_

_The woman arched her thin, dark eyebrows. "This girl must be something special." I was disturbed by her complete lack of empathy for me, the intended victim. It was obvious that she was happy to do anything to anyone as long as she got paid for it. _

"_Believe me, Karen, she is." There was a faraway, glazed look in Drew's eyes. I wished I hadn't been able to peer into his sick, twisted mind right then, because he was entertaining fantasies about me on my back, on my knees—always a submissive position, I noted—and telling him I loved him and couldn't live without him. Finally, I would be his and his alone...I felt so ill that I nearly broke the connection, but I forced myself to watch the rest of the scene play out. _

"_Fine. I'll do the amnesia curse," Karen agreed reluctantly. She studied my image for a minute or so, then glanced up at the male vampire. "You said she's here in the London area?"_

_He nodded again. "She's visiting her brother. I saw her from a distance."_

_Brother? My connection nearly faltered again, and it took all of my concentration to remain in the room with Karen and Drew._

_Karen stood up and fussed with her long, wavy hair. "It's going to take some time, Drew. Putting a spell on another supernatural being is difficult at best—let alone one who's half witch and half vampire."_

_He was on his feet and standing before her in a heartbeat. Karen was at least as tall as me and wore heels, so he didn't exactly tower over her, but his presence was imposing enough to cause fear to flash through her dark eyes. _

"_But you _can_ do it." It was an order, not a question, and, although Karen hesitated briefly, she nodded. _

"_I will."_

_Drew's smirk was the embodiment of pure evil..._

I blinked a few times and shook my head to ground myself. Karen and her spotless kitchen had vanished and I had—mentally-returned to Drew's house again. I immediately slid my hand out of his and staggered to my feet, shaken by what I'd just learned.

"Well?" Stu asked impatiently, and I nodded.

"It's true. He really did hire a witch to give me amnesia—the same witch named on this business card."

"I underestimated you, _mate_," Stu remarked in a deadly calm tone that made me fear he'd murder Drew before we got any further details out of him. "I never imagined that your 'harmless crush' on Katie would evolve into such a twisted obsession."

"I loved her. All I wanted was for her to love me, too." I wasn't sure whether Drew was actually responding to Stu or just talking to himself.

"It's over, Drew." Stu grinned at me, then addressed his bewildered former best mate. "You'll never hurt Katie or anyone else again."

It took a moment or two for the meaning behind Stu's words to sink in, but Drew couldn't have been more shocked when it did.

"What?" he gasped, glancing back and forth between us in disbelief. "But...But you said...Both of you _promised me_-"

"We lied," I said simply, unable to resist smirking. "Being lied to is a terrible thing, isn't it, Drew?"

"Fuck you!"

Drew sent Stu reeling with a vicious headbutt and pushed him aside, then made a run for me, fangs extended. I knocked the armchair over to buy myself some time and sprinted across the living room, heading for the staircase. Curiosity got the better of me when I heard a series of ominous noises, followed by a string of curses, and I spun on my heel to see what I'd missed. I concluded that Stu had caught up with Drew and punched him, causing Drew to stumble and trip over the chair.

"I'd do it all over again if I could," he vowed, wincing as he rubbed at his wounded cheek.

"I know you would, and that's why you must die. Move, Katarina!" Stu ordered, and I immediately dashed to the left—not a second too soon, either, because Drew sailed through the air with Stu's help. He crashed headfirst into the railing just below the banister, taking out a sizable chunk of it. Several of the wooden posts shattered and others cracked in half. "My only regret is that I can't prolong the agonies of death."

"Ah, God," Drew groaned, holding his head and curling into a ball. "Just get it over with already, would you?"

"With pleasure." Stu glanced down as he reached beneath his overcoat for something, but Drew wasn't nearly as defeated as he claimed, because I saw him snatch one of the broken railing posts lying next to him, his blue eyes suddenly blackened with malicious intent.

"No!" I screamed. Without thinking, I hurled myself in front of Stu protectively as Drew charged at him. The "stake" easily penetrated layers of flesh, tissue, and bone and lodged itself in my chest. I let out a ragged gasp and cupped my hands around the wood to slow the bleeding, but the thick, dark blood was already seeping through my fingers and creating a growing stain on the robe...


	12. I'll Be Your End of Days

Thank you PinUpStrongAnvilette, ElizaMassani, xj0j0x, ImSeriousBro, and Ainat for reviewing the last chapter. Expect more drama and excitement in this one!

The chapter title is, of course, from the Corre's theme, "End of Days." Credit goes to Jim Johnston.

* * *

"Katarina!"

I was vaguely aware of Stu shouting my name, but my eyes were locked on Drew, whose astonishment had quickly given way to smugness, and, finally, disappointment when he realized I hadn't dropped dead.

Stu came to my rescue, catching me just before I collapsed. Drew, meanwhile, let go of the stake and hastily retreated through the backdoor.

"It's going to be all right, love," Stu assured me while he gingerly placed me on the floor, although I couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to convince himself, too. "You'll be fine."

Blood oozed from my mouth when I coughed and sputtered. I was gradually becoming paralyzed, the numbness spreading throughout my body, but I managed to clutch Stu's hand as he reached for the stake and shake my head.

"Make...him...pay," I choked out.

Although Stu was clearly torn between tending to my injury and chasing down Drew, he—grudgingly, judging by his expression—chose to honor my request. I suspected that I would have died already if I was mortally wounded, and I wouldn't be in pain for much longer, either. I couldn't live with the guilt if Drew got away and hurt someone else, though.

My hero took off, a black-clad blur disappearing into the night, and I felt strangely at peace under the circumstances...

My eyelids fluttered open at the sound of Stu's thick accent. I must have passed out, but I couldn't remember doing so.

"You're a dead man, Galloway!" he raged. From my vantage point on the floor, I could see Stu dragging the other vampire into the house by his hair.

"I'm begging you, Stu, don't do this!" a wild-eyed Drew pleaded. "I didn't mean to stake Katie! It was an accident!"

"It doesn't matter." Stu forced Drew into a kneeling position, his left hand still gripping Drew's hair and the right hand now free to slip beneath his coat and retrieve a stake of his own. A desperate Drew clasped his hands and looked up at the furious Englishman through watery eyes. Although Stu's back was to me, I could imagine that he got a great deal of pleasure out of seeing his enemy on his knees, begging for his life.

"Please...Just...Just take Katie and get out of here, all right? I _swear_ I'll never bother either of you again!" Drew was so hysterical that he was all but sobbing, yet I felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. His impassioned speech had no effect on Stu, either, and so he appealed to me to talk sense into Stu. "Katie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...I didn't mean-"

"This is for Katie," Stu told him coldly, then plunged the stake downward—straight through Drew's heart.

I glimpsed Drew's horror-stricken expression just before he crumbled into a pile of ashes at Stu's feet. Part of me was relieved—Drew was dead, and I was going to survive—but something deep within me stirred uneasily. Witch's intuition, perhaps.

A visibly distressed Stu turned away from the remains of his former best friend and rushed to my side again.

"This is going to hurt, love," he warned me as he crouched down and clutched the broken banister post-turned-stake. His other hand pressed against my chest for leverage, and, in one swift movement, he yanked the weapon out and tossed it aside. I screamed as the jagged edges scraped against the bottom of my heart, and that's when it hit me just how close to death I had come. Stu winced and kissed my forehead. "I'm so sorry. All of this is my fault." He also reset my broken wrist, and I bit my lip so I wouldn't cry out again.

I wanted to say something, anything, that would absolve Stu of his guilt, but I was distracted by a ghastly vision. A figure had begun to rise from the ashes, and it gradually formed a translucent version of Drew. Stu heard me gasp and immediately jumped to his feet and whirled around, ready to do battle.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

"You didn't think you could get rid of me _that _easily, did you?" the ghost of Drew asked with a cocky smirk as he took a few steps toward us. "I'm not leaving without the two of you."

Stu growled, fists clenched. I knew he was willing to die for me, just as I had nearly died protecting him, and it was a likely scenario since I was still rather defenseless. I suddenly felt chilled to the bone as I contemplated the advantages a ghost might have over a vampire.

I never could have predicted what happened next: As Drew approached us, he suddenly ceased walking and appeared to be wrestling with invisible enemies.

"Let go of me!" he yelled. He shouted and struggled against whoever or whatever was attacking him for maybe a minute or two, then disappeared entirely.

"Well, that was strange." For a long moment, Stu's gaze was rooted to the spot where Drew's ghost had appeared, as if waiting for yet another comeback, but then he snapped out of his trance. He looked positively alarmed when he realized that the blood was continuing to seep out of my wound. "Fuck!" he ground out as he examined my injury. His eyes were green once again and expressed his anguish over my condition. "The silver is preventing you from healing. You need fresh human blood." Stu took note of my horrified expression and added in a no-nonsense tone, "There's no other way."

"Wait," I protested when he attempted to scoop me up. I had just noticed Karen's business card lying about a foot to my right—I must have dropped it when Drew staked me-and I felt a little better when my bloody fingers were curled firmly around the thin cardboard.

I rested my head against Stu's shoulder as he carried me through the open front door and into the frigid winter air.

"What...What happened to...Drew?" I rasped out in between waves of pain.

I could feel him shrug against me while he walked. "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say someone on the other side intends to punish him—perhaps relatives of yours or some of Drew's victims. Either way, good riddance."

Stu walked with me in silence for some time, stopping only once he reached a black car a good distance away. He set me on my feet momentarily, holding me up with one arm around my shoulder, then helped me onto the backseat. He even placed his coat over me to help slow the bleeding.

"Thank you," I murmured, surprised by his kindness. This wasn't the Stu I remembered from my last flashback.

He paused, as if he wanted to say something meaningful in return, but then he seemed to change his mind.

"Get some rest, love." His tone had softened a touch.

Rest? How could I possibly rest? I was vulnerable and trapped in a car with the man who had vowed to get revenge on me!

Nonetheless, sleep came easily. Peace, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found...

_I glanced down at my body with a growing feeling of horror as I realized that I had taken on a translucent appearance. I wore a phantom version of the violet robe and found the real one discarded in a pile at my feet, filled with ashes. When I looked up again, I noticed Stu holding a bloody stake, smirking as he watched the red droplets fall to the floor._

"_Come now, Katarina. Did you honestly expect me to let you go after you made me a prisoner in my own home?"_

_"I saved your life!" I protested._

_Stu nodded smugly. "I meant to thank you for that. By doing so, you gave me the opportunity to get my revenge...Shame about Angelina, though."_

"_What did you do to her?" I had a sickening mental image of the blonde lying dead in an alley somewhere, throat ripped out and her body caked in blood, with a terrified expression permanently tattooed on her face..._

_Stu shrugged. "I've merely deprived your little bird of her 'soul mate.' Unless she dies young, many, _many_ lonely years will pass until she can see and talk to you again." He leaned in close to me, smirking, and lowered his voice to a confidential tone. "I bet you regret waiting to turn her, don't you?"_

"_You bastard!" My hand went right through his face when I tried to slap him. Stu began to laugh-a loud, obnoxious sound that only infuriated me more._

"_Is that all you've got, Katie?" he taunted me. _

"_I hate you!" I screamed, clenching my useless fists. "I'm going to haunt you for the rest of time!"_

_Stu snorted. "What could you possibly do? Make the lights flicker? Slam a few doors?"_

"_I could do a lot more than that," I insisted, trying to project an image of confidence. Ghosts had different powers than witches or vampires. Once I mastered my new abilities, I would surely discover _something_ I could do to torment Stu..._

_I watched in disbelief as he tossed the stake at my feet and nodded to it._

"_Go on. Do your worst. Take me down with you—if you can." A mocking smile curved his lips as he added the last bit._

_I reached down and touched the stake, but my fingers sank into it as if I'd stuck my hand in a puddle of water. After several frustrating attempts, it became painfully clear that I just couldn't pick the damned thing up._

_Stu, meanwhile, was doubled over in laughter._

"_Look at you!" he gasped out in between fits of hysteria. "You're _pathetic_. The incredibly powerful witch-vampire hybrid has been reduced to a completely useless ghost!"_

_I was about to say something when I felt a pair of hands clamp down on my shoulders. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. I closed my eyes and a shudder raced through my spectral form._

"_It's time, Katie," Drew's voice murmured in my ear. "You have to come with me now-"_

"No!" I screamed, my eyes wide open again. I tried to sit up, but the ground swerved beneath me and a blast of pain in my chest threw me back down. At the same time, I heard an awful screeching noise and a deep male voice.

"Bloody hell, Katarina!" Stu scolded me. I could see the back of his head over the driver's side seat, and I vaguely remembered him placing me in the backseat of his car. I concluded that my scream had startled him into nearly driving off the road. "If I had known you were going to have a nightmare, I would have insisted you stay awake."

"Sorry," I whispered, determined to remain alert for the rest of the ride. I feared that my nightmare was actually a premonition. "What are you going to do with me?" I gritted my teeth and dug my nails into the leather seat as another jolt of pain wracked my body.

"I'm getting you fresh blood, of course."

"And after that?"

He sighed. "I no longer intend to either kill or torture you, if that's what you're asking."

My lips curved into a tiny smile, although the nightmare had left me shaken. I wanted to believe that Stu's change of heart was genuine, but I feared that he still intended to carry out whatever sinister plans he'd dreamed up before coming here.

"Besides, between what Drew did to you and the things I've done because of you, I feel you've been punished sufficiently," he added.

"What did you do, Stu?" I asked, voice trembling. Something told me I wasn't going to like the answer.

"We'll discuss it later," he said firmly, and we both lapsed into an awkward silence for awhile. I was in too much pain and too tired to argue with him. My mind ran wild with morbid possibilities, though.

As Stu left the country and drove into a more urban area, I began to feel overwhelmed by all the combined noises and scent: Traffic, barking dogs, footsteps, human voices, beating hearts—and, most of all, _blood_. Tonight's events had distracted me from my hunger, but now I was suffering every imaginable side effect.

"We're almost there," Stu reassured me, as if he had read my thoughts.

Minutes later, he pulled up to a two story red brick house. The aroma of blood became even more intense as Stu carried me up the porch, wrapped up like a package. He kicked at the front door and waited.

A muscular, dark-haired man flung open the door, and I saw a thin woman with long, straight blonde hair cautiously peer around his shoulder. Their eyes were ringed with purple-tinged shadows, as if neither had gotten much sleep in awhile.

I recognized Angelina at once, but seeing Paul in the flesh—nothing ghostly about him—was a real shock to the system. I would have cried with relief if I hadn't been mesmerized by the blood pumping through the delicate-looking veins in his throat.

"Katie?" they gasped in unison. Angelina pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Invite us in, _now_," Stu ordered Paul, who took one wide-eyed look at me and immediately extended an invitation.

"Oh, hell," he muttered as Stu swept past him and gently deposited me on the sofa.

"What happened?" Angelina demanded, finally stepping out from behind Paul even though she was clearly terrified of Stu.

"Katie was staked," Stu explained in a hurry, causing the blonde to gasp again, "and she needs blood. You first, Paul."

"Why him?" Angelina asked in a tiny but petulant voice.

"Because he can afford to lose more blood."

"Oh," she squeaked, backing away and looking a bit sick.

I closed my eyes and held my breath, trying desperately to avoid inhaling since my stomach, gums, and fangs ached nearly as much as the gaping hole in my chest. Then I heard stumbling footsteps and felt hot skin brush against my lips. My vampire instincts kicked in and I wasted no time sinking my fangs into Paul's flesh.

I pulled his wrist even closer with both hands as I greedily sucked down as much blood as I could without choking. Each hot, bittersweet mouthful gave me a bit more strength and energy, and, best of all, I could feel my wound slowly beginning to heal.

"All right, Katarina, that's enough." Stu's voice was an unwelcome intrusion, and I did my best to ignore him and keep feeding. He finally had to drag Paul away, and I licked my lips resentfully.

"I'm still hungry," I reminded Stu with a glare. Fresh blood was so addictive that the bagged stuff was almost revolting in comparison. I couldn't imagine going back to it, and I stared longingly after the retreating Paul.

My response seemed to amuse Stu. "I know." He motioned to the woman I now knew to be my soul mate. "Your turn, Angelina."

The petite blonde sucked in a deep breath, marched over to the sofa, and knelt down at my side, offering me a shaky wrist. She cried out as my fangs punctured her flesh, but my bloodlust made her discomfort irrelevant.

Again, Stu had to tear my donor away before I went too far. I knew I probably would have drained them both to death if he hadn't interfered, even though I already felt much better. The hole just below my heart had even filled in completely.

I turned my head to thank the three of them and found only the humans waiting in twin leather armchairs. Their pale, sickly appearances and fluttering pulses nearly turned my stomach. Angelina even appeared dangerously close to fainting.

I_ did this, _I realized in astonishment. I_ nearly _killed _them..._

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my vision suddenly blurred with tears. "I didn't mean to..."

"They understand." Stu returned to the living room, balancing two glasses of orange juice and buttered scones with jam on a tray, which he offered to the others. Both of them tried to stand, but Stu immediately ordered them to sit down and eat instead. Naturally, they had no choice but to do as they were told. The male vampire took a seat at the end of the sofa I was occupying.

While Angelina and Paul were recovering, I realized that Karen's business card was missing. Fortunately, I discovered it tucked between the folds of the sofa cushions before I could have a panic attack.

"Who did this to you, Katie?" Angelina demanded after she'd finished most of her scone and half of the juice. Her narrowed blue eyes, aimed in Stu's direction, accused him of the crime.

"Drew Galloway," he replied before I could. His expression was stony and there wasn't a trace of emotion in his voice. I could only begin to guess at the conflicting emotions that must be gnawing away at his insides. "He's dead now. I killed him."

Angelina's wide eyes betrayed her shock, but her features gradually relaxed and she breathed a sigh of relief. Paul, however, studied Stu with a cynical frown.

"How do you know he won't come back as a ghost?"

"The spirits are punishing him," I murmured in response to Paul's question. Both he and Angelina turned to me curiously, but Stu looked away, pretending to examine a painting on the wall. "They won't let him return."

My answer seemed to reassure the humans. "I've missed you terribly, Katie," Paul said softly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He nodded at Stu. "Thank you for bringing her home."

Angelina, on the other hand, was openly crying, and she wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks with a napkin before she spoke.

"I'm so glad you're...well, not _alive, _exactly, but not _dead, _either. Paul and I were worried sick about you, Katie! When he told me you disappeared, I _knew_ that son of a bitch Drew had done something to you, and-"

"I'm sure that Katie will tell you everything when she's ready," Stu said sternly. "At the moment, however, she needs her rest. She's been through quite a traumatic ordeal."

Although I thought Stu could have been more diplomatic, I appreciated the sentiment. I was still processing everything I'd just been through and just _thinking_ about Drew made me feel ill.

Meanwhile, Angelina's cheeks flushed a bright pink. "I can see that," she snapped.

I smiled, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Thank you—all of you—for being so kind to me. I feel much better now, but I'd like to take a shower and maybe get some sleep." I glanced at Stu hopefully. "Will you be staying awhile?" In spite of our volatile past, Stu and I seemed to have called a truce of sorts.

He shrugged after looking to Paul. "That's up to your stepbrother—and your girlfriend, I suppose." The way he said "girlfriend" indicated that he resented Angelina's position in my life. I couldn't blame him, really. "In any case, I need to have dinner."

"There's blood in the refrigerator," Paul offered. I bit my lip to keep from grinning at the grimace that appeared on Stu's face.

"Thank you, but no. I'll be back shortly." He raised both eyebrows at me. "I trust you won't lose control while I'm gone and do something you'll regret."

I looked at him solemnly. "I won't. I promise." I wasn't even hungry anymore, but I'd finish off Paul's supply of blood bags if I had to in order to keep him and Angelina safe.

Stu smiled, just a little. "Good girl." Before he left, he even remembered to release the humans from their sitting positions so they could move about freely again.

"Use the downstairs bathroom," Paul advised me after the front door banged shut, and I stared at him blankly as I tried to recall the exact location. "Angelina, will you please fetch some clean clothes for Katie?"

She nodded and trotted upstairs. I pulled Stu's coat tighter around my body, remembering how bloody and short the robe underneath was. I didn't want to subject either Paul or Angelina to further trauma.

Paul, naturally, slipped back into his protective big brother role.

"Are you sure you're all right? I can get you more blood if you'd like-"

I shook my head and smiled at him. "That won't be necessary." I impulsively pulled my stepbrother into a hug, which he returned as lightly as possible, but I withdrew from his embrace the second my fangs started to descend. I realized with a sinking heart that being a vampire among humans was more challenging than I'd anticipated. Maybe after my shower I would take him up on his offer and have a packet or two of blood.

"What's that?" he asked, noticing the card in my right hand for the first time. I examined it and was relieved to discover that I could still read the printing even through all the bloody fingerprints I'd left behind.

I sighed. "It's a long story."


	13. Dealing with Dark Magic

Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter: ImSeriousBro, ElizaMassani, Pin Up Strong Anvilette, xj0j0x, Ainat, and Lay-Cool Lover. I'm sorry it took me ages to update, but I got writer's block repeatedly and my muses weren't exactly cooperating during one scene...I hope the length of this chapter helps make up for the inconvenience of waiting!

* * *

I was sure that Angelina and Paul would be fast asleep by the time I got out of the shower, dressed, and dried my hair, but, to my surprise and delight, both were awake—maybe not wide awake, yet not on the verge of collapsing, either.

Stu was there, too: A silent, foreboding presence lurking in the corner. His appearance wasn't quite as surprising, since I thought I'd overheard him speaking in hushed tones while I was showering. But, between the running water and being tormented by memories of Drew, I wasn't focused enough to make out his exact words.

"Welcome back!" Angelina bounced out of her chair and threw her arms around me, oblivious to the others' presence. She stopped just short of kissing me, thank goodness, because being pressed up against her, breathing in her heavenly scent, made me hungry all over again.

"Sorry." Gently but firmly, I withdrew from her embrace and held her at arm's length. Stu was already making his way over to us, ready to intervene the second things got ugly, but I held up a hand to stop him. Then I smiled at Angelina so that she wouldn't get the wrong impression. "It's just very hard for me to be around humans right now."

"It's cool. I get it." Angelina returned the smile, although a spark of pain flashed through her pretty blue eyes. She waited a moment before turning and taking up her previous seat next to Paul. Meanwhile, I spied a battered red binder resting on his lap.

He crossed the room and handed it to me. "Here. I thought you might be missing this."

"What is it? Some light bedtime reading?" I teased.

Paul exchanged worried glances with Angelina. "You don't remember? It's one of your old spell books. You were practicing some of the spells before you...disappeared."

I ran my fingers over the cover with a sigh. "I'm afraid there's a lot I don't remember," I admitted sadly. "You see, I had amnesia, and-"

"_Amnesia_?" Paul and Angelina blurted out in unison, their eyes taking on almost saucer-like proportions as their heads swiveled in my direction.

"I'll go heat up some blood," Stu announced, turning on his heel and striding into what must be the kitchen.

Well, _this_ was awkward.

"How the hell does a vampire even _get_ amnesia?" Angelina wondered out loud.

"I thought your kind was immune to human illnesses," Paul added, brows furrowed as he tried to arrive at a sensible conclusion.

"I was cursed—literally. Drew Galloway paid a witch to give me amnesia."

"I don't understand. Why would he do this to you?" I realized then that I hadn't told Paul about the night Drew attempted to rape me. I must have been afraid that he was going to confront Drew and get himself killed.

"Because he had this, like, sick obsession with her," Angelina blurted out.

Paul's protective older brother instincts had kicked into overdrive. He clenched his fists and took a few deep breaths as his face began to turn scarlet. Now I understood exactly why I'd kept Drew's assault a secret from him.

"I wish you'd told me, Katie." I winced at the disappointment in his voice. I might not be a psychic, but I knew he blamed himself for my abduction and whatever harm I'd endured.

"It's all in the past, Paul," I reminded him. "Drew is dead and I'm safe now."

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed after thinking it over, and he patted me on the shoulder affectionately. He returned to his chair and I curled up on the sofa under a plush gray blanket.

"Blood's ready," Stu called out with impeccable timing, reentering the living room with a piping hot mug. I was worried that Angelina and perhaps even Paul would continue to press me for further details. I knew the amnesia and Drew's charm were to blame for my actions, but I still felt dirty and guilty over sleeping with him—not to mention foolish because he'd seduced me so easily. I didn't think they would think less of me, but I wasn't ready to tell all.

I might never be ready.

Stu decided that I needed a diversion from the subject of Drew Galloway and switched on the television set. Neither of the humans dared to challenge his decision. While he perused the channels, politely asking for the others' opinions on various programs, I alternately sipped hot blood and leafed through the notebook Paul had given me. To my dismay, everything appeared to be written in German, which I could no longer read or speak—everything, that was, except for a folded slip of paper hiding between the pages. I unfolded it with care and a great deal of curiosity.

_MY AFTERLIFE LIST_ was printed across the top line in English. I couldn't help but grin at the title.

Underneath, I'd started a numbered list of goals that included reconnecting with Paul—That one was already crossed off—turning Angelina, learning how to do magic again, becoming fluent in French, and writing novels.

As I tucked the list back into the book and closed it, I reflected on all the positive changes that had occurred tonight...I'd survived being staked, Stu was back to being a gentleman, I had been reunited with Angelina and Paul, and Drew had vanished completely.

The only other things I really needed were my memories and my ability to do witchcraft. Achieving the remaining goals on my list would just be icing on the cake.

* * *

I was awakened from my blissfully deep and nightmare-free sleep by a loud, repetitive thumping noise that seemed to be coming from upstairs. ..

I jumped off of the sofa, my every sense heightened warily, and discovered Paul standing at the foot of the staircase, staring upward with a confused look on his face. Stu had been there when I finally closed my eyes, but there was no sign of him now.

"What's going on, Paul?" I demanded.

He shrugged. "Angelina's packing up her things. She's leaving-"

"_What_?" I practically flew up the stairs, my feet barely touching them, and swung open the door to Paul's guest room. Angelina ceased stomping around the moment I burst inside, cradling a pile of clothing in her arms. More clothing overflowed from the large, open pink suitcase on the bed. "Paul said you were leaving. Why?"

She nodded, dumping the remaining clothes in her suitcase. A curtain of straight, platinum blonde hair shielded her expression from me, but I knew she'd been crying by the way her voice trembled when she finally spoke.

"We're through, Katie. Over. I never want to see you again, okay?"

My jaw dropped. Had I heard right? No, I must have misunderstood, or perhaps she was playing a joke on me. There had to be some other explanation...

"This doesn't make any sense," I argued once I had finally recovered enough to form a complete sentence. I hadn't felt this bewildered since I'd awakened with amnesia. "After everything we've been through...Why are you breaking up with me, anyway?"

"Because I hate you!" she snarled, turning towards me. In her rage, she almost resembled a vampire about to attack—minus the fangs. Only her flushed, tear-streaked cheeks betrayed her grief.

"Why do you hate me?" The whole exchange was more than a little suspicious.

For maybe thirty seconds, her delicate features were scrunched in concentration. Then she shrugged and turned indifferent.

"It doesn't matter." She returned to her packing, shoving clothes around the suitcase with excessive force.

"Yes, it does." I grabbed Angelina's arm and lifted her chin with two fingers. Her heart accelerated the second I touched her and she immediately attempted to jerk her arm out of my grasp.

"Let me go!" she screeched, and her free hand came up and slapped me with more force than I'd expected from a human.

"Angelina, calm down and _look at me_," I requested. My tone persuaded her to obey at once. Her chest gradually stopped heaving and her heartbeat returned to a resting rate. As her red-rimmed blue eyes locked onto mine, I took the opportunity to do a little detective work, vampire-style. "Why are you breaking up with me?"

"I...I don't know," Angelina answered after hesitating briefly. She sounded as confused as she looked. "I just _have to_."

Hmm. I dropped her arm and stepped back as the missing pieces of the puzzle slid into place. Angelina's actions were almost certainly the result of being compelled by a vampire, and I recalled overhearing Stu's lowered voice while I was in the shower last night...I also thought I'd heard him talking to somebody when I was resting, but I just assumed I was dreaming.

_I should have let Drew kill the son of a bitch,_ I thought ruefully as I turned and made my way back downstairs. Every muscle in my body trembled and the banister cracked in several places where I'd squeezed too hard on the way down. Oops. I made a mental note to pay for the necessary repairs later.

"Where's Stu?" I asked Paul, who had retreated to the sofa in the living room.

He shrugged. "I've no idea. I suppose he went for a walk or something."

Paul's aloof tone instantly made me suspicious. Had he been compelled, too? I risked approaching him and was first heartbroken, then infuriated, by the contempt I discovered lurking within his eyes, but I set my pain aside temporarily so I could work a little vampire magic of my own.

"Neither you nor Angelina are to leave this house. You are going to keep Angelina here even if you have to use force." I hated adding the last part, but I was terrified she might end up on an airplane to another country if I didn't make my instructions perfectly clear. "Do you understand?"

"I understand," he answered in a monotone.

I breathed a sigh of relief and nearly dashed out the door in my pajamas, then thought better of it. Someone might call the police if they saw a woman wandering around the icy streets without proper winter clothing. I checked the hall wardrobe and struggled into a black coat and omen's boots that were probably mine but might have been Angelina's.

"Don't come back," Paul called out to me as I reached for the doorknob. His words were harsh but his expression was solemn. "You're not welcome in my home anymore, Katie. I never want to see you again."

I tried not to take offense at Paul's words since I knew that Stu had put them into his mouth, but they stung nonetheless. I hurried out the door without comment—and with murder on my mind.

* * *

Picking up Stu's scent among thousands—if not millions—of other scents competing for my attention was next to impossible. Worst of all, I could smell blood everywhere I turned: Animal _and_ human.

I kept walking, wishing I had Stu's black coat to inhale so I could remind my nose of his scent whenever it got distracted. But the coat, along with its owner, seemed to have vanished without a trace.

I cursed under my breath as the wind carried the scent of an approaching person and what I assumed was their dog directly under my nose. I wasn't sure how long I'd been wandering around, but I hadn't eaten before leaving and the hunger pangs had started a short time later.

From behind me, I heard the swift, light footsteps and breathed in the distinctive scent of a vampire. Was it Stu? I spun on my heel, only to see nothing.

Meanwhile, the mingled sounds and smells of human and dog crept closer...

Calling upon every reserve of willpower I had, I fled back to the house, planning to heat up the contents of a blood bag or two My plans changed, however, when I discovered that Stu was perched on the front steps, a similar but different black coat draped over his shoulders.

"Looking for something—or some_on_e, perhaps?" he asked nonchalantly.

Stu, knowing me as well as he did, anticipated my next move and caught hold of my wrist before my palm could come anywhere near his face. That didn't deter me from speaking my mind, however.

"How _could_ you? I saved your_ life, _you ungrateful bastard!" I spat, attempting in vain to wriggle out of his grasp.

He smirked and slowly shook his head. "No, you didn't. Drew was neither strong enough nor fast enough to succeed at killing me. I appreciate the sentiment, however."

The truth hit me like a ton of bricks. I had risked my life for a man who didn't care one lick for anyone's happiness except his own—not to mention, a man who could have survived anything Drew did to him. I backed away to contemplate my next move, startled to realize that Stu had relinquished his grip on me and was now watching me in anticipation.

"I wish I hadn't done it," I mumbled, but, even as the words left my mouth, I realized I wouldn't have changed a thing. I was indebted to him for protecting me, especially since his original intention was far more sinister.

"You don't mean that." The way he phrased it, he was stating a fact as opposed to questioning my sincerity—an action that irritated me greatly. He cocked his head slightly. "You said you were starting to get your memories back...I'm curious: Just how much do you remember about our relationship?"

"Um..." The unexpected detour our conversation had taken made me dizzy, and I sank onto the steps next to him. "I remember that you turned me and we were really happy together until the whole Drew thing...Then it was like you became a monster overnight."

Stu sighed heavily. "I was afraid of that." He ran a hand over his face, erasing any emotion that dared to express itself and leaving behind a blank canvas—but not before I glimpsed a flicker of guilt in his gray-green eyes. I knew he was tormented by how he'd treated me in the past, and, as a result, my anger faded somewhat. "I find it very interesting that you sacrificed yourself to protect me in spite of all the cruel things I've done to you."

"I-I wasn't thinking." That much was true.

He nodded almost eagerly. "Exactly. You acted on instinct—which could only mean that you still have feelings for me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Stu," I scoffed, but he made enough sense that I almost began to question my own motives. I opened my mouth to remind him that I was still in love with Angelina even though he'd turned her against me, but Stu cut me off before I had a chance to do so.

"I'm sorry"-He jerked his head backward, indicating the house-"but it had to be done. They were obstacles standing in the way of our happiness."

"'_Our happiness_'?" I echoed shrilly. No. It couldn't be...After all, this was the same man who'd been hellbent on murdering me when he showed up at Drew's house only the night before! "You mean..."

"I'm still in love with you, Katarina," he replied quietly, confirming my suspicions. "I never dreamed I'd get another chance to mend our relationship, and I intend to make the most of this opportunity."

A string of four-letter words raced through my brain at that moment, but the words that left my mouth were chosen carefully.

"If...If you really care for me, then you'll go inside and undo the damage you've done."

He shook his head. "I've done you a favor, love. Now you'll never have to worry about killing either or both by accident." I shuddered as I recalled the blood lust taking over last night, along with a nightmare in which I'd nearly bled Paul to death shortly after becoming a vampire. "Need I remind you what you did to your dear brother many years ago?"

It was my turn to shake my head. "I remember," I said sourly, crushed to realize that story was more than just a figment of my imagination. It made me curious about some of my other dreams...Had I actually been in an intimate relationship with my stepbrother and turned Angelina into a zombie by accident?

"Your brother and girlfriend"-He referred to the latter with undisguised contempt-"were more fortunate than the humans I encountered after my escape. A great deal of them were killed and the rest barely survived."

"Oh, God, Stu..." There wasn't even the slightest trace of remorse in either his tone or his expression. Stu might not delight in torture and murder as Drew had, but, in my opinion, his apathy toward the human race made him a monster in his own right.

"I know I'm an inconsiderate brute, but give me a chance to prove myself worthy of your heart." An almost apologetic smile spread across his handsome face, and I couldn't help but be impressed by this unexpected and rather poetic side of him. His calloused fingers trailed along my jawbone until he was cupping my chin in his hand. I automatically closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. "I'm afraid I can't just let you alone, love." He went silent for a moment. "I want you to be my wife, Katarina, and I won't take no for an answer."

_Wife? _My eyelids snapped open and I pulled away, inhaling a lungful of ice cold air in shock.

"But..But we already share a blood bond," I argued weakly. My mind whirled in panic. Sure, Angelina despised me now and Stu still made my hormones go crazy, but how could I possibly choose marriage to such a cruel man over eternity with my soul mate?

"That didn't stop you from looking elsewhere for love," he growled.

_Neither will a marriage license,_ I thought defiantly, chewing at my lower lip so I wouldn't verbally express my thoughts. I needed to do _something_ to ensure that Stu, like Drew, could never again hurt me or the people I loved...

"And what if I refuse to marry you?" My words came out in a whisper. "What then?"

He shrugged. "One way or another, Katie, you _will_ be mine—and I'm not above resorting to violence if necessary." I shivered, knowing that my girlfriend and my brother would be in grave danger if I didn't tread carefully.

Stu's expression softened as he watched me mull over his words. His green eyes seemed to be pleading with me to understand where he was coming from.

"Please don't make me do that, sweetheart. I don't want to be a monster anymore." When I didn't respond, something wild and desperate came over him. He clasped my hands in his and managed a tense smile. "Listen, I'll make a deal with you: If you accept my proposal and prove your loyalty to me, I'll talk to Paul and Angelina and convince them they're friends of yours. I'll even allow you supervised visits with them—for their protection, of course. How does that sound?"

"I...I can live with that. It's better than the alternative," I added stupidly, but he didn't take offense to my careless words. It must be humiliating for a vampire of Stu's age and power to be threatened by mere humans, so, under the circumstances, that was a generous compromise on his part.

"Then you consent to being Mrs. Stuart Alexander Bennett?"

I only squeaked out a "yes" because I had no intention of following through. Even so, I was irritated by his assumption that I'd take his last name. Well, Stu _was_ born in the eighteenth century...

"Splendid!" He kissed my knuckles and allowed a smirk to make its presence known. "I'm afraid I don't have a ring—marriage wasn't part of my original plan for you, you know-but I assumed you'd prefer to choose your own. Shall we?" Stu rose gracefully to his feet and extended a hand to me, but I just stared up at him in a daze.

"_Tonight_?" Oh, _shit_. I had completely forgotten that I was going to pay a visit to Karen after I fed.

"Yes, tonight. Is there a problem?"

"Uh...I'm still tired. I think there might be some silver left in my system." I feigned a yawn to convince him and allowed my eyelids to droop just a little.

"Tomorrow night, then." I was too anxious to be skeptical of Stu's unusually sympathetic response "You know, I haven't gone hunting yet...I could bring you-"

"No, thank you," I interrupted hastily, as a vision of Stu carrying back a partially-drained young woman danced in my head. I offered up a ghost of a smile in mock gratitude. "I'll just have a blood bag or two instead."

He shrugged. "As you wish." Then he leaned down and planted a kiss on me that left me craving more. Stu smirked when he realized the effect he still had on me. "Get some rest and meet me out here just after sunset."

_Not bloody likely, Stuart. _"Where are you staying?" I blurted out. I'd overheard him comment to Paul about how good it was to be back in England, so the house I'd trapped him in was obviously elsewhere, and it was hard to picture him living with a human Bennett many generations younger.

"Our mate PJ is putting me up for awhile," he explained without elaborating on PJ's identity. I nodded, drawing on a dream memory to fill in the some of the blanks. A happy-go-lucky werewolf and a volatile vampire sharing a flat? That wasn't going to last long, I was certain. Stu grinned at me. "Don't worry, love: I'll find us a suitable home before the wedding."

Then, mercifully, he was gone-for now, anyway.

* * *

I killed about an hour before setting out for Karen's, leisurely polishing off two bags worth of blood and flipping through the morning paper, which I had retrieved from the recycle bin. I was afraid that Stu had found my explanation suspicious and intended to shadow my every move, but there wasn't a trace of him to be found when I stepped outside.

On the way to the front door, I passed by Paul, who reminded me not to return this time, and a seething Angelina. Paul had followed my orders to keep Angelina from leaving by tying the blonde to a dining room chair with a leather belt. She was red-faced with rage but otherwise unharmed, and she began to kick and hurl obscenities whenever she spotted me.

I hated leaving her like this, but it was better than coming home to discover that she had taken a flight to parts unknown. With any luck, Karen could help me sort out the mess with Stu, and then both Angelina and Paul would be on good terms with me again.

If not...Well, that was a thought best left unfinished.

Karen resided in a rather affluent neighborhood. She might not have a mansion like Drew's, but, judging by the lovely exterior of her house and the accompanying landscape, she was doing quite well financially. I wondered if she earned a living exclusively by magic or if it merely provided supplemental income.

Just before ringing the bell, I covered the peephole with one hand. Karen surely wouldn't open the door if she knew one of her victims was waiting for her!

Her footsteps ceased on the other side, but her breathing was shallow, and she waited a good thirty seconds or so before opening the door.

My presence temporarily warped her pretty face with shock and likely terror as well. To her credit, though, the mask melted and she was quick to try on a look of practiced indifference instead.

"Can I help you?" she asked impatiently, as if I'd just interrupted an important business meeting or something of that nature. Her physical beauty, enhanced by an elegant rose-colored sweater and black skirt, was diminished greatly by my knowledge of the evil she was capable of.

I smiled sweetly. "I'm sure you can, since you're the witch who put an amnesia curse on me."

Karen sighed. "I had a feeling this might happen," she confided. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"I want the cure—assuming there is one. Also, there's something else..."

The other woman seemed to tune out after she heard the word "cure." She frowned, creasing her unnaturally youthful features. I resolved to bring up my other dilemma the first chance I got.

"I was under the impression that my spell hadn't worked on you," she finally said. "Let me tell you, it took a _lot_ of power."

I could have drowned in the fear her words provoked. What if Karen wasn't strong enough to reverse my amnesia? Could she even do anything about Stu?

_But she looks in good health, _I reasoned, and immense power radiated from her in thick, reassuring waves. I cast aside my doubts and replaced them with renewed hope.

"It works just fine when I'm awake, but the memories return when I'm asleep."

"How very interesting..." Karen looked as if she'd like to examine me under a microscope. I suddenly felt exposed, like I was standing in front of her completely naked.

"So, can you help me?" Now I was the impatient one. I knew it was foolish to get my hopes up, but I was desperate to be whole again—and even more desperate to get Stu Bennett out of my hair once and for all.

The witch gave me an icy smile in response. "That depends on what you're willing to pay for my assistance."

"I don't have much money," I confessed, and I got the distinct impression that Karen dealt exclusively with London's supernatural elite, "but I _can_ offer you Drew Galloway's entire art collection. I suspect it's worth a fortune." It was the best of the ideas I'd come up with, which also included borrowing cash off of Stu and stealing from Paul and/or Angelina—and I couldn't bring myself to stoop so low as to do either. I just hoped Drew's pieces were the authentic and not forgeries.

"His _entire_ collection?" she asked, aghast. "But how..."

"He's dead," I interrupted with a shrug. I still had trouble believing it myself, even though I'd witnessed Drew's murder—justifiable homicide, in my opinion. Karen sucked in a shocked breath and the color drained from her face, leaving an unflattering pallor behind. She covered her mouth with a trembling, perfectly manicured hand. "He has no use for material things anymore."

I waited a minute or so for her to compose herself, and, while her emotional guard was down, I received an unwelcome mental image of Karen and Drew in bed together. I wasn't sure whether the witch was in love with Drew or if she had just slept with him to "seal the deal"-and I had no desire to learn more..She wrapped her arms around her slender frame, looking uncomfortable. If she knew about my vision, she chose not to inform me.

"But...Surely his ghost will want revenge if I—we-disturb his things," she protested. "Have you any _idea_ what it's like to be haunted?" Her last sentence implied that she'd experienced a haunting personally and lived in dread of it happening again.

"Drew crossed over already, so don't worry about him," I said with such utter conviction that Karen apparently believed me. She nodded, her tense features gradually relaxing. The truth was, I had no idea whether Drew was actually banished to the great beyond or just playing invisible and biding his time. I hadn't seen him since, though, which I thought was a good sign.

"I suppose you're right." Her dark eyes swept over my face suspiciously. "You look like you've fed recently. Have you?"

I nodded. "Just before I left, actually." Bagged blood didn't taste as good as fresh, of course, but it kept the hunger at bay for awhile.

"Then come inside." She stepped aside and swung the door wide open. Those brown eyes narrowed in a warning. "Don't do anything stupid or I'll turn you into ashes before you can even scream," she hissed.

"You've nothing to worry about," I assured her, annoyance seeping into my tone. I understood that she needed to take precautions around vampires, but did she have to be such a judgmental bitch about it? I gathered my courage and forced myself to make another request. "There's just one more thing I have to ask of you..." Perhaps expecting a second favor was a bit greedy, but I wanted—no, _needed_-to be free of Stu so badly that I'd give up on being cured of amnesia if she forced me to pick just one.

"What is it?" Karen looked less than pleased as she closed the door behind us. I silently prayed that Drew's art collection was enough of an incentive for her to grant me both my wishes.

"Well, I've been having trouble with another vampire..."


End file.
